Until We Meet Again
by Sailor Taurus Angel
Summary: FurubaSM She could heal but her heart was forever broken. She could foresee but not her love. She was free but alone. Was it possible to feel caged when you lived alone? Or to feel unloved when your friends are your family? Or never remember your destiny?
1. I Wish I Could Remember

Well, it looks like I've got myself another story, don't I? I know you guys are probably going to tar and feather me, but again this is a story I had to get out… Like asap, I was going to go bonkers if I didn't. Furuba has become my new fetish seeing as I've already spent my hard earned money on five volumes of the manga. I'm hoping that I can please you with this story and I've put a quiet a bit of thought into it for you all. I will tell you diehard Rei and Taru fans out there that this is a Mako-centric fic and they won't appear until chapter two, but when they do show up they will become centric characters, so if you don't like that I won't let you waste your time on me. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it.

Pairings:

Mako/Kyou

Rei/Hatori (age difference of ten years, but later on it will be explained why I'm not going 'ew', but am going 'aw' so don't rant about it!)

Hotaru/Haru (yes, I said it would be her and Momiji, but thanks to Moi Fah I ended up like this pairing better, and it goes better with the plot! Thanks again, Salem!)

Tohru/Yuki

Setsuna/Shigure and a little one-sided Suna/Ayame XD

May be more… Maybe… I'm thinking I might add in Chibi-Usa/Momiji, it all depends on you guys!

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Until We Meet Again

Chapter One: I Wish I Could Remember

"Are you sure you don't want to come to see them off? They'd be so surprised if you came with us." Hino Rei smiled up at the oak haired teenager next to her watching the brunette's expression waver and then she looked up beaming with a smile.

"That's alright… I need to take care of a few things anyway. You three go on ahead and I'll come and visit you at the temple tonight." Kino Makoto spoke mustering up the best smile she could for the three other Senshi.

Her eyes scanned over their expressions, they all looked guilty for asking her to come along.

She raised her violet eyes to meet curious emerald gems.

"It's fine Mako-chan. We don't want to push you to do something that you don't want to. They understand, and it's not like they won't be gone for long. They'll be back before we know it." Tomoe Hotaru smiled at the woman she had become accustomed to being near over the last years.

"That's right and Mamoru-san understands, he wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable at his cost. The others understand and feel the same." The grass haired Senshi of Time spoke softly to the younger girl.

Makoto smiled thinking of the pigtailed princess and how she had cried knowing that Makoto didn't want to travel to America to visit Mamoru. Not that she hated the prince, it was just she couldn't even go into an airport to see her friends off let alone ride in one to another country. She was just lucky that Setsuna couldn't leave due to her duty, Rei was busy dealing with the Shrine and Hotaru was beginning to become sick again and couldn't risk leaving. She didn't want to be alone.

She looked up at the three completely different people and smiled sweetly and stood up.

"_I'm so lucky to have such good friends…" _She thought as she walked over and hugged each of them.

"Please tell them I'm sorry and I'll call them every night on my communicator and don't let them forget to call me when they get on the plane and off of it alright? Oh and-" Makoto's frantic and panicked voice was stopped by Rei.

"Mako-chan, they'll be fine. Don't beat yourself up about it. They're strong." Rei smiled sincerely and Makoto looked down blushing at her rambling. But she couldn't help but feel useless and feeble seeing as she was the Senshi of Protection and Loyalty and she was too afraid to get on a plane.

"Alright, now let's all get ready to hear Odango-atama wail like the little baby she is." Rei sighed exasperatedly and the other three Senshi sweat dropped knowing that the two would have one last brawl before their princess left for a weeks visit with the rest of the Senshi in the land of the free.

"We'll see you at the temple when we get back, Mako-chan." Hotaru smiled happily as she walked out the door shutting it behind them, leaving her alone in the apartment.

She couldn't help but hear Hotaru's sweet voice echoing in her mind, seeing as it was the last thing she had heard before the stale silence ensnared her mind once more.

The smile dropped from her lips and her eyes lowered to the floor, not only had silence ensnared her mind, but now sadness had as well. They seemed to go hand-in-hand for her lately; one always brought the other, and even sometimes their brother loneliness.

She stood, letting a sigh pass through her parted lips as she walked to her bedroom. Her room seemed to be something like a safety blanket or something where she felt that she was always protected, where she was left to her thoughts. She laid on her bed and grabbed one of her pillows hugging it as she reached for her photo album.

She smiled just looking at the front cover with the picture of all of the Senshi including the Starlights. Below that was a picture of her with her mother and father. She only looked to be about five or six there. Her eyes looked over to her mother and father. Her mother hand long curly brown hair identical to Makoto's even the unruly part of their bangs, but it was braided off to the side of her head. Her father had auburn hair and green eyes with glasses; he always had a kind smile.

Next to that picture was Makoto and her mother with two other people, one a little girl Makoto's age with brown hair the same color as hers and green eyes as well and a woman with short brownish-orange hair and bright blue eyes. Makoto and the small girl were hugging happily as were her mother and the older woman.

"Kyoko-chan, Tohru-chan… How are you?" She whispered and felt tears begin to sting her eyes and she bit her lip trying to suppress the tears.

She hugged the book to her chest and felt the hot tears slide down her cheeks and the further they feel, the colder they became.

So many memories filled her mind as she shut her eyes and curled into a ball on the bed. Her and Tohru smiling and playing together, her mother and Kyoko talking in the background about something and laughing loudly as the two small children played outside. She saw herself hugging Kyoko one of the many times that she had spent the night at the house with the two and Kyoko braiding her and Tohru's hair. Then it changed to seeing them at the funeral…

"I'm so sorry…" She wailed into the pillow and cried until she could no longer keep her eyes open.

-:-

"Do you really mean forever?... That's such a long time." She whispered in the dream.

"I said it, didn't I?! Why do you always have to ask such dumb questions!?" He yelled as she blushed and punched him on the shoulder.

"Because it's true…" She whispered and looked the other way.

"…Forever is a long time… And, people have broken their promises before to me." She spoke softly and turned to him smiling with tears in her eyes.

"So let's promise here and now! Let's keep a promise for a promise!" She cried holding her tears back, but they still fell. He couldn't understand it because she was smiling at him and crying all at once.

She watched his lip curl up and he sighed, a small blush on his face.

"I suppose if you really want…" He spoke and put his hand behind his head.

He felt arms wrap around his body and then nothing.

-:-

She opened her eyes and rubbed her eyes feeling the fresh tears on her cheeks and quickly wiped them away. Her eyes shot over to her clock saw it was time for her to make her way over to the temple, Rei and the others would be worried.

She quickly fixed her hair and had only one thing on her mind as she walked over to Hikawa Shrine, the recurring dream of the faceless boy without a name.

She had been dreaming about him constantly, but each time it was a different scenario, she had no idea who he was or where he was, but she felt a close bond to him, a love for him.

-:-

"Mako-chan! You made it!" Hotaru shouted happily as Makoto walked over and smiled kindly at her.

"Of course I would! And look what I brought!" Makoto shouted happily and pulled out a small bag and threw it to Hotaru.

The younger teen quickly opened it and gasped looking up happily.

"Mako-chan! They look so yummy!" She smiled and Makoto blushed taking a seat next to the short haired girl.

"Gezz, Mako went all out." Rei smiled and looked over her shoulder with a smile and then went back to facing the fire.

Rei sighed when she turned around and let her eyes lower from the fire to the floor.

She turned around interrupting Hotaru's and Makoto's conversation.

"Makoto, what is it that's been bothering you?... What is it that is making you act this way?" Rei asked and Setsuna looked up from the book that she was reading and sighed; she knew that Rei would be the first to notice and confront the brunette.

Hotaru watched and bit her lip seeing Makoto cast her eyes to the ground. She knew what Rei was talking about, but she didn't want to pry into Makoto's life too much… She knew that her past was hard and full of pain, so she never wanted to do anything to make her remember.

"Makoto! Why don't you understand you can tell us when something's bothering you! We're your friends! We care about whatever it is that's bothering you!... Usagi-baka… Usagi is worried about you; she almost didn't leave to see Mamoru." Rei's high tempered voice softened as she spoke and watched Makoto's head shoot up in astonishment and then lower her eyes again. She felt the sting of tears burn and she inhaled.

"I've been wanting to see an old friend of mine… My first friend who lives a bit a ways away from here, Honda Tohru. I haven't talked to her or her mother since my parents' funeral, I miss them. Her mother was like my second mother, even when she was alive. Tohru-chan is a lot like, Usa… I think that's why I am such good friends with her." Makoto spoke softly and looked up to see Rei smiling at her.

"Are you sure that's all you want to go there for, Mako? What about that 'senpai' of yours?" Rei asked with a smirked as Makoto stiffened, and blushed.

"I-I… Well… I can't really…" She mumbled so that they couldn't hear, and Setsuna sighed sadly. She knew the whole story of this, even if Makoto hadn't told her.

"You can't really what?" Rei asked anxiously as she and Hotaru leaned in, wanting to know the secret about **the** 'senpai'.

"…I- I can't really remember him." She admitted and for a moment the whole room was completely silent, you could have heard a pin drop. Rei stood up, fire blazing behind her as she pointed her finger accusingly.

"You what!?" Rei screamed as she stood up, Makoto wasn't sure if it was fire that she was spitting out of her mouth on to her or just saliva.

"You mean to tell me that that's why you go around saying that every damned man looks like you're senpai!?" Rei wailed and Makoto winced with a tiny nod.

And Rei flopped back down and crossed her legs and pressed her hand to her temples.

"Mako, you're hopeless you know that?" She asked and Makoto could have sworn that another person was voicing those words at the same time, but it sounded like a male.

She quickly brushed it off when she saw Setsuna walk over and sit next to her.

"If you want to see your friend, you all only have two weeks left of your Spring Break. And if you go, I want Luna to accompany you." Setsuna smiled down at the girl and she could see a considerable amount of life come back to her features.

Setsuna felt like her heart was being poked and prodded as she looked at Makoto remembering that she gave her the same look when they had first met as she was a little girl.

"A-are you sure you guys will be able to handle anything that might happen here?... I'll be too far away to get here fast enough." Makoto protested wanting to make sure that this was going to keep everyone safe.

She felt a smaller and colder hand being placed on hers and she looked down to see Hotaru smiling up at her.

"Mako-chan, you don't always have to feel like you need to protect everyone… We'll be alright, I promise." Hotaru smiled and Makoto felt tears again seeing her trying to look as tuff as possible when they all knew that she was becoming sick again.

Makoto smiled and hugged the tiny girl in her arms smiling at her kindness.

"You're right, Taru… I trust you." Makoto smiled and felt Rei's hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine with it, as long as you're back in time for my birthday." The fire Senshi smiled. She wanted Makoto to be happy and if this was what she needed to do so, then so be it.

Makoto nodded and stood up, a sincere smile on her lips.

"Well, I guess I should go home early then seeing as I'll have to pack a few clothes and get Luna." Makoto spoke and Setsuna stopped her.

"I'll take care of Luna for you; she's house-sitting Usagi's room so you might look a little strange just stopping over at her house to get her cat." Setsuna spoke and Makoto thought it over and nodded.

"Right, I'll stop over here tomorrow before I leave to see you guys." Makoto giggled at the thought of returning to her birthplace, where she grew up and made her first friend.

"We'll see you then, Mako." Rei smiled waving goodbye and watched the brunette walk out the door.

"Kyoko-chan, Tohru-chan… I'm coming." She whispered with a smile still on her lips as she walked down the darkened shrine steps.

-:- The next day -:-

She sat down her bag with a sigh and straightened her green tank-top and sat next to Rei.

"You look excited." Rei commented softly as she played with the bottom ends of her hair.

"Do you think you'll find your senpai while you're there Mako!?" Hotaru asked exuberantly hoping Makoto could finally have her own love story to tell.

"I doubt it! He's like one in a million that could be there! It's a fat chance. It would be nice to remember him though…" Makoto spoke a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Oh, Makoto. You're such a lovesick puppy! You couldn't have possibly liked the baka that much if you can't even remember him!" Rei berated her as she rolled her eyes and Makoto laughed putting her hand behind her head.

"I suppose you're right!" She laughed but Setsuna watched her carefully, her face was unreadable.

"_I want so badly to tell you Makoto, but if you want to remember, you have to on your own… You're no longer the only one remembering things and not telling anyone…" _Setsuna thought looking at the two onyx haired beauties as she thought sadly of them all.

"Mako, you need to be more optimistic! You'll find him, I believe in you." Hotaru smiled up at the green eyed vixen.

"Hotaru, you're just as lovesick as she is! Have you been reading too many romance novels or something?" Rei asked suspiciously and Hotaru blushed and looked down at her hands.

"J-just a few…" She replied and they all sweat dropped.

"What am I going to do without any Senshi for a week?" Makoto asked sadly and Rei laughed as she replied.

"Well, maybe we'll come and visit. That's only if you we miss you though." Rei laughed and Makoto rolled her eyes and looked at Setsuna.

"So where's Luna at, Sets?" Makoto asked with a smile.

"I'm here, I'm sorry it took me so long. It's been a while since I've actually had to walk here." Luna spoke as she walked through the door with a huff and strolled to them.

"Usagi's been giving you too many sweets again or something?" Rei asked and they all rolled their eyes.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are Mako-chan." Luna smiled and stretched as she ignored Rei's comment.

Makoto stood and smiled at the three females.

"Are you all sure that you'll be able to take care of things while I'm gone? Just say the word and I'll-"

"Go Makoto. You need this, and…" Setsuna paused thinking of the girl's dead mother that Makoto had no idea had passed almost a year ago.

"… I'm sure your friend is in need of your kindness and protection that you give all of us." Setsuna smiled down at the Thunder Senshi.

Makoto nodded and looked to the ground.

"I suppose you're right… So are you ready Luna, if we don't hurry we'll miss our bus." Makoto smiled and Setsuna stopped her.

"Did you call Honda-san?" Setsuna asked urgently.

"Um, well no… I wanted to surprise her with my visit." Makoto smiled happily and watched Setsuna's expression become hard.

"_She's walking blindly into trouble…"_ She thought and looked up and hugged her briefly.

"Take care, Makoto… And if you sense or even see anything strange at all, please contact me at once." She spoke softly and Makoto laughed and hugged her back.

They pulled apart and Makoto hugged Hotaru.

"You be good for Rei, Taru." She laughed and heard Hotaru snort.

"Makoto, you seem to keep forgetting that I'm a fifteen year old now… You're just like Haruka-papa." Hotaru sighed as Mako giggled knowing what she said was true and pulled apart.

"If you're gone for too long and don't call me, I'll be coming after you." Rei smiled and they embraced and when they did Rei felt as if something shot through her body and her eyes widened at the pictures flooding through her mind.

She blinked a couple of times and pulled away trying to stay as calm as possible, not wanting to give Makoto a reason for staying.

"B-be careful, Makoto." Rei smiled and watched the brunette nod and turn to face the black cat.

She bit her lip and lowered her amethyst eyes to the floor, those pictures still swirling around in her vision. Makoto and a young boy smiling together. Hotaru with a small boy whose hair was two different colors and then herself with a man that could only make her think of her father's right hand man, Kaido… But the thing about all of the pictures that was the same was, in each of them the girls were happy while the people they were with were faceless…

"Have fun!" She heard Hotaru shout and looked up to see the purple eyed girl waving goodbye to them out the door.

Her eyes then scanned over to see that Setsuna had been staring at her and their eyes locked.

"You… You know something don't you Suna?" She asked quietly, not wanting to worry Hotaru with anything else.

She watched Setsuna look towards the ground, her red orbs wavering there for a moment until she spoke.

"More than you know, Rei…" She whispered solemnly.

-:-

She flipped her bag over to her other shoulder seeing as her right one was beginning to become numb.

"It's quiet beautiful here, isn't it Mako-chan?" Luna asked walking along beside her on a cement ledge that was level with Makoto's height.

"Yeah… There are so many memories I can't seem to forget just walking along these streets…" She spoke softly and let her eyes roam all over the surroundings.

"Are you sure you know where you're going, Mako-chan?" Luna asked and watched Makoto smile up at her with reassuring eyes.

"I sure do, but I want to make a small stop before we go and see Tohru-chan…" Makoto smiled and felt her heart fill with pure bliss by just being here.

"Wh-where are we going then?" Luna asked and jumped down onto Makoto's shoulder as Makoto turned a corner and spotted a wooded area that she had been looking for.

"You'll see, Luna…" She smiled mischievously and ran into the shrubbery pushed past small saplings and plantlets. (That's my new favorite word… Just say it… Plantlets! It's cute right!?... Yes, I'm strange.)

"Caahh! Makoto! What are you doing!? The road is that way!" Luna shouted as she bounced on her head and Makoto only walked faster, not even stopping to look down at the small cuts on her legs from the briers.

"We're almost there." Makoto whispered to her and Luna looked up to see something that looked like a house in the distance.

She felt Makoto move faster and then once they got to the edge of the wooded area she stopped and let her eyes scan over the open lawn and to the open house.

"M-Makoto! It looks like someone lives here! What are you doing?- H-hey this is trespassing!" Luna snapped quietly as Makoto ignored her and walked out into the open and the black cat sighed in defeat.

"_She has to stop hanging around Usagi all the time…"_ She thought hopelessly and felt them stop and Makoto take her off of her shoulder and set her on the ground.

She looked up with curious eyes and watched as Makoto looked to be lost in her memories as her knees buckled and she collapsed looking at a patch of rose bushes in front of her.

"L-Luna… Look… They're still here…" She spoke and tears began to fill her eyes and she reached her hand out and cupped one of the sweet smelling blooms and brought it to her lips, kissing it and a few small droplets of tears fell on their petals.

She looked down, tears falling out of her emerald eyes and smiled down at Luna.

"My mother and I planted these roses ten years ago… She never had high expectations for them to grow, because she said the soil here wasn't fertile enough, but I never gave up hope for them to bloom… They never did until the day we left to move to Juuban…" Makoto gulped and Luna stepped into her lap with saddened eyes.

"Mako-chan…" She whispered quietly and nuzzled her head against her hand and felt Makoto hug her to her chest.

She sniffed and felt Luna rest her head against her cheek as she sobbed.

"Are you alright, miss?" She heard a kind voice ask and she felt herself and Luna both stiffen.

She didn't move for a few minutes and then heard the footsteps coming near her and looked at the ground to see the person's shoes and bit her lip not wanting to look up.

She heard something and then the man was level to her face and her mouth fell open with shock when she looked at the boy.

"Are you alright?" He asked again, smiling kindly at her his purple eyes traveling to her tears and handed her his handkerchief.

Her lips quivered as she looked at the beautiful person in front of her. He had soft purple hair and dark violet orbs that matched Hotaru's, but he was one of the most handsome people she has ever seen.

She shook herself out of it and slowly reached for his offered item and patted it to her eyes and felt more tears come on as it came back to her where she really was.

"I-I'm sorry… I'm f-fine…" She whispered not wanting to look at him and let him see her cry more.

"Here, let me help you." He spoke softly and extended his hand and she blushed as she took it and he pulled her up as Luna climbed onto her shoulder looking at him curiously.

"Th-thank you… I'm sorry to bother you; I'll be on my way…" She spoke and reached for her bag but he grabbed it for her and handed it to her.

"Are you sure?... Why were you here anyway?" He asked as she hiccupped and whipped the remaining tears away.

"I, um… I lived here when I was a little girl with my parents… I just wanted to see it once more when I was in town…" She spoke softly and looked the other way and let her eyes roam around the yard.

"Then at least let us get you a cup of tea. You may look around if you would like to." He smiled at her and saw her shocked expression, her lashes still thick with tears.

"N-no… I couldn't, I already was trespassing… I-" Her rambling was cut off by a shout of another man.

"Yuki-kun! Have you found the intruder yet!?" They heard and Makoto looked up to see the boy, whom she now knew by Yuki, grimacing.

"Please, just come in. You look like you need something to drink." He spoke kindly and walked on ahead like he knew that she was now going to follow him.

"But I-" She felt Luna jump from her shoulder and follow after the handsome boy.

"L-Luna!?" She seethed and quickly followed after them.

She turned a corner and saw that Luna was walking happily next to the purple haired boy and she sweat dropped.

"_I'm telling Usagi-chan…"_ She thought and then watched as a man appeared at the back entrance dressed in a Kimono.

"Yuki-kun, so you've found-…" The man stopped talking when he looked over to see Makoto standing there, her face still blotchy and her eyes puffy.

He smiled and walked out onto the porch.

"Well, it's a beautiful young girl… Is she one of your fan club girls, Yuki-kun? It seems that you've broken her heart as well, she has been crying- oaf!"

He shouted and Makoto jumped as she watched the older man fall to the ground after Yuki had kicked him.

"No, she's not. She's…" He paused and got an expression of realization on his face and turned to her.

"I'm sorry, forgive me. My name is Sohma Yuki." He smiled and she gulped and blushed at how attractive he looked when he did that.

"I-I, um… I'm Kino Makoto. It's nice to meet you, Sohma-san." She gulped and watched as the man on the floor twitched as she spoke her name.

He looked up his eyes full of curiosity as he stood and walked off the porch to her.

"Kino, you say?... Your father wouldn't happen to be Kino Kenta, would he?" He asked and she gave him a shocked look and then her eyes fell to the ground.

"Hai… He was." She spoke softly and felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see the man smiling down at her.

"Then come inside, I'd like to speak with you." He spoke softly and Makoto blushed at the attention from the beautiful man and looked over her shoulder to see Yuki walk inside and Luna follow him in quick pursuit.

He watched her looked over his shoulder and smiled as he removed his hand.

"Come, then." He spoke and she watched him walk to the house as she followed.

"_What have I gotten myself into!?"_ She thought and walked inside and gasped. She brought her hand to her mouth in shock as she looked around and saw that the boy Yuki looked over his shoulder from fixing the tea in curiosity to see what she was gasping about.

She looked around turning in many different directions and felt the tears coming to her eyes again and then they landed on older man who was smiling at her.

"Y-you... You left it all the same, everything." She whispered and watched him smile and she studied him for a few moments.

"Who are you?" She asked softly and walked towards him.

"Well, I guess you were too young to remember me… I was a good friend of your father and mother, Sohma Shigure." He smiled and she looked up at him and then looked back to the ground.

"So… So you know, don't you?" She asked softly and sat down at the table her fists clenched at her side.

She heard him sit down across from her.

"Yes, I was at the funeral… It was so terrible, you're parents were good people, very caring and always wanting to help anyone that they could… You look just like your mother, you know… Ahhh, but you have Kenta-kun's eyes." He smiled down at her and watched her eyes fill with tears again.

"N-no one's told me that for a-a very long time… It's been a long time since I've met s-someone who knew them." She choked trying to hold back her tears and clenched her fists so hard that she knew she had now left half-moon shaped marks on them.

Yuki watched her in interest and looked over at Shigure and narrowed his eyes.

"_If he knew her parents so well, then something's not right here."_ He thought and looked at the cat next to him that wouldn't stop following him and sighed. How he hated cats… His eyes then caught something that he hadn't noticed before, the small crescent moon on the feline's forehead.

He watched as it jumped down from him and into Makoto's lap and nuzzled her head on her cheek.

"Luna…" She whispered softly and kissed her behind her ear and patted her and looked up to see Shigure smiling at her.

"So you were the one that bought the house when we left for Juuban?" She asked and watched him nod and looked around the room.

"Yeah, it was just luck that your dad had told me that he was moving you guys there and I needed a house at the time. So I left it how you all had it in their memory." He spoke and she nodded and smiled up at him.

"They would have liked that… They would have liked that a lot. So how did you know my mom and dad?" She asked and knew that it wasn't that they could have gone to school together because he didn't look old enough.

"Well, your father used to teach me here at his dojo. He was an amazing fighter, strong as Hell…" He paused and looked over at her with a smile.

"And if I remember correctly, you were his star pupil since you were just a little girl… You didn't seem to like me though, always trying to kick me." He spoke scratching his head and she looked away blushing and remembered that she used to do that to guys who she had liked, she just wanted their attention.

"Hehehehe…. I-uh… Don't know why I'd do that! Hahaa!" She laughed nervously and felt something set in front of her and looked up to see Yuki smiling at her.

"Here you are, Kino-san." He spoke with a smile and she blushed taking it.

"Uh, um thank you Sohma-san." She smiled and watched him sit next to her.

She took a sip and closed her eyes as she sighed just listening to the silence.

"So, why is it that you're here Makoto-kun?" Shigure asked and she looked up thinking it was strange how he had called her Makoto-kun, but it sounded familiar coming from him.

"Uh, my friends went on vacation for a week to America to see a friend… I… I still couldn't even bring myself to go to the airport… And so I decided I would visit one of my old friends here, seeing as we haven't spoken since my parents' funeral." She spoke softly and looked down at the steamy liquid.

"Aaahhh… I see, well I don't blame you my dear. It would be unnatural if you could so easily go near planes. So you decided you would just stop by here on the way?" He asked and she nodded.

"So are you still living alone in Juuban, or did you finally go to that Orphanage?" He asked and Yuki glared at him.

"Shigure, don't burden her and pester her with such things, you're being rude." Yuki growled as Makoto looked up and shook her head.

"No, no… It's fine, really… It's kind of nice actually, to talk to someone who knows something about my past can't just feel sympathy for me…" Makoto replied and looked at him, a blush on her face as she smiled at the beautiful boy.

"But… No Shigure-san, I didn't go. I never even wanted to." She replied and he looked at her like she was nuts.

"But, Makoto… You were only seven years old!" He replied and Yuki's head snapped in her direction but she didn't look up.

"I know, and if I would have gone I would be a spoiled little brat and I would not be as independent as I am today… I can take care of myself just fine and have been able to for a while now. I don't have to depend on others to take care of me, so I don't need to burden them." She spoke softly.

"It must be nice…" Her eyes widened as she looked over at Yuki who had spoke, she wasn't expecting him to talk to her much.

"To live alone that is. It must be nice to feel so free." He spoke and Shigure watched with a smile as she kept her eyes locked to his before she spoke.

"I've never been able to see it that way… When I was young I envied everything about children and their parents, I still do, but people think that because of living alone it's nice… But it's far from it. In order to be free, you have to be alone as well… You can't have one without the other." She spoke and looked down at the tea in her hands and felt Yuki's shocked eyes on her.

"Kino-san… I-I didn't mean it like that… I didn't mean that it was a good thing that your parents were gone-" Yuki was stopped by her looking up at him with a sincere smile on her lips.

"I understand Sohma-san, I know what you mean… I take no offense." She spoke kindly with a smile and Yuki stared at her with a shocked expression and then smiled as well.

Suddenly she felt Luna bat at her hand and she looked down at her urgent expression and got the message.

She stood up and quickly sat her tea down.

"Uh, um… Thank you both very much for letting me stay here and thank you for the tea, it was wonderful! But I've got to go and find my friend before nightfall!" Makoto spoke and bowed to the two of them as they stood.

And before she could dart out the door Shigure walked over to her and smiled.

"It was nice to see you again, Makoto-kun. I'm sure your father would be proud to see how well you've turned out on your own." He smiled as he watched her gulp again, trying to keep her tears at bay. How she wished that she would remember this man.

"Th-thank you Shigure-san." She whispered and turned to the door.

"Thank you both again. Maybe we'll see each other again one day." She smiled and then quickly bolted out the door.

Yuki stared after where she just was and then to Shigure.

"She was a bit strange… How is it that you knew her Shigure? You're not planning something are you?" Yuki asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

"No, I promised her father I would never lay a finger on that girl… I keep my word you know." He spoke and turned away from the door.

"It's sad really that she doesn't remember… So many things she was involved in here, and then all at once that poor child's world came crashing down on her, only the tender age of seven too. Beautiful thing, just like her mother." He mumbled and walked out of the room leaving Yuki to stare in curiosity at the older cousin.

"_She was only seven?..."_ He thought and looked back to the door once more and felt a heavy weight of sympathy for her. He knew how hard it was for Tohru, and here this girl lost her parents at the same time and only when she was seven… And after that she lived alone. He began to wonder how that was possible.

"_Luckily that damned cat wasn't here or he would have made a mess of everything, that's for sure."_ He thought and turned around and out of the room still thinking of the green eyed girl that resembled Tohru.

-:-

"What the Hell was up with you Luna!?" Makoto screamed as they walked down the street growling at the cat.

"I-…I'm not sure Makoto, I don't know what came over me, but that boy, Yuki, he smelled delicious." She spoke and Makoto stopped and looked down at her with large eyes.

"Y-You like another human!? Aww man! I thought you were in love with Artemis now and over humans! But I don't blame you… He was so cute!" Makoto sighed heavily and Luna sweat dropped.

"No, that's not what I meant Makoto… He just he smelled… He smelled like… this is going to sound crazy but he smelled like a rat… Or maybe it was a mouse." She spoke and felt Makoto stop next to her and then pick her up.

"Luna. Are you feeling alright?" She asked holding her level wither face and Luna rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Makoto I'm fine. Let's just go find this girl before it gets too dark." Luna replied and Mako nodded and went on her way to find the house.

"I guess they're living with Kyoko-san's father… This shouldn't take long." Makoto smiled and walked on her way following the map.

-:-

"Kyoko? Ah, yes, Kyoko is living here." The old man spoke in a type of dazed voice.

"So, um what about Tohru?" She asked again and he looked at her questioningly.

"Yes, Kyoko lives there now with friends. She seems happier, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you Natsuko. Kyoko always said you were her best friend." The old man smiled and Makoto bit back tears.

"N-no, Honda-san, I'm Makoto, Natsuko's daughter." She spoke and he looked back behind him and then smiled at her.

"Ahh, I'm sorry Natsuko-san, I must go to bed now. I hope you and Kyoko are happy to see each other again, good night." The old man smiled and Makoto couldn't help but smile back at him and watched him shut the door.

She stood there for a moment and bit her lip as the address in her shaking hands.

"Mako-chan…" Luna spoke softly on her shoulder and Makoto looked up at her and wiped her tears away.

"No worries, Luna. I won't cry anymore. I don't want to worry you anymore." Makoto spoke as she turned around and walked away from the porch, the darkness had already fallen over the city.

"Makoto, you're not being a burden to me… I'm here to help protect you and everyone else; I'm supposed to worry about you." Luna smiled and Makoto reached her hand up and scratched her head.

"Thank you, Luna." She whispered and looked down at the address under the streetlamp.

"This address… It… It couldn't be…" She whispered and looked down at it unbelievably.

"Makoto, what is it- wah!" She shouted as Makoto took off in top speed down the street.

"That address…" She huffed as she ran and Luna held on with all of her might.

"…Is the address of my old house!" She shouted and rounded and corner and ran straight into someone and fell backwards landing on her butt.

"Oww." She mumbled and rubbed her head in pain.

"Well, well, well, look at what you found! It's a pretty little girl and her cat. Are you lost little chikie?" Makoto heard a man laugh and looked up to see about ten guys surrounding her.

"Damn it…" She growled and quickly stood up and felt someone move behind her their hand in her hair.

"You smell nice. Look nice too; it's been a while since I've even seen someone as beautiful as you-oaf!" He didn't even get a chance to finish before Makoto had kicked him and slammed his face into the ground and stepped on his face.

"There is no way in Hell I'm in the mood to deal with little boys like you, you piece of shit!" She screamed furiously and felt someone move past her and she quickly dodged their attack.

She looked around and each time she took one down another one came back! It was almost like they were multiplying.

"Ah!" She shouted as she felt one of them finally make contact with her cheek sending her staggering back.

She felt someone's hand snake around her side and hold her arms behind her back.

"You've caused a bit of trouble, you're a bit of a spit-fire aren't you?" He asked his putrid breath against her neck and she growled looking around herself.

"That will make you even more fun…" He laughed and her body shook with anger.

"I'd like to see you try you bastard!" She screamed and quickly pushed her feet back and then pulled them forward behind his feet sending him falling to the ground and as soon as she felt his grip loosen and made her move.

"Ahhhh!" She screamed picked him up over her head and threw him at the rest of the men that were crowded around her.

"Bring it on…" She breathed as she spit some blood out of her mouth.

"I'll take every last one of you! I'm not giving up!" She screamed and charged at them.

-:-

He sighed and placed his hands behind his head as he walked around on the dark streets. He breathed in the sweet night air and closed his eyes as he walked.

"_That dream… I still don't understand why I keep dreaming it, it's so strange."_ He thought to himself and saw the pictures of the faceless girl in his mind. He didn't know if she was real or just a figment of his imagination, but a part of him hoped that she was real.

Unexpectedly he heard a shout about a block away and furrowed his brow and ran in the direction of the scream.

He skidded around the corner and saw all the way down the block was a girl about his age and was staggering backwards as she tried with all of her might to stand up.

He growled and looked around at all of the men surrounding her.

"Ten, eleven, twelve." He counted and clenched his fists at his sides.

"Son of a bitch…" He growled and stepped forward and watched in amazement as the girl maneuvered her feet, while still having her hands behind her back, she put them behind the guys' and pulled them forward knocking the man off of his feet. She then amazed him even more by picking him up over her head and throwing him about fifteen feet away.

"What the Hell is she?" He asked and watched as she charged head on to all of the men.

"Oh shit!" He mumbled and took off after her.

-:-

She had taken down about half of them and went to hit a man out of her way and that's when she felt it.

"Ahhhhh!" She screamed in utter pain and felt the blade being pulled out of her stomach.

She collapsed to the ground holding her side in pain and leaned up against the wall behind her, breathing heavily as she watched the man with the knife walk closer to her.

He crouched down and licked the blade hungrily.

"What're you going to do now, cutie?" He asked and placed his hand under her chin so that she had to look at him and she sneered and punched his face.

"You bitch!" He screamed and pulled his fist back to hit her, but a cat jumped on his face and scratched it so that blood ran streaming to the ground.

"Damn cat!" He screamed and threw the cat off and she heard Luna's bones break when she hit the wall.

"_**LUNA!!"**_ She screamed a blood curdling scream as tears fell from her eyes and then she felt his hands on her body as she struggled to get him off of her.

"You better get off of me! I'll kill you! **I'll kill you all**!!" She screamed and punched him and thrashed but felt the blade enter her body again.

"Ahhhh!!" She screamed and stopped moving.

"That's better now- Ah!" He screamed and felt the weight of his body finally off of her as she coughed up blood.

"Get the Hell away from her you stupid son of a bitch!" She heard someone yell and she felt as if she could breathe again.

She let her tear-filled eyes wander over to the crumpled body of her cat, tears began to fall once again and she crawled over to her.

"L-Luna?" She cried and picked her body up and hugged it to her bloodied form.

"Luna?" She asked again and got no response.

"LUNA!?" She cried and hugged her body closer to her and cried.

"A-all I am is a burden… Look at what I've done to you." She wailed and hugged the small animals' body and felt her body falling over, but caught herself.

She looked up upon hearing the man who rescued her grunt as he had been punched, but he didn't go down.

She watched as he took down the last man and she looked around to see all of them unconscious. She closed her eyes in relief and then felt him touch her arm and she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked and she nodded, but he knew she was lying, he had watched her get stabbed twice before he could finally get to her.

"I-I'm fine… Just help her… Please help Luna." She cried and handed him the broken cat and he looked at her like she was crazy. She was telling him to save a cat before her own life.

"Please, I-" She tried to sit up and began coughing up blood once again and he looked at her in a shocked manner.

She was going to die if he didn't go and get help, but that meant leaving her here… But it had to be done.

"Stay here, I'm going to go and get help!" He shouted and took off with the cat still in his arms.

-:-

She stumbled around the corner to see the house was only about ten feet away.

"I need them… To help Luna…" She thought not even bothering to think of herself, or what the boy had told her about staying put.

She wheezed her hand clutching her side that had the address on it and pulled it back to see it covered in her blood from the wound, but the address matched the one on the paper.

She stumbled forward and fell to the ground but she stood up, staggered to the door and clutched the doorknob to hold herself up.

She was getting ready to knock and heard shouting voices inside.

"Wait, that cat… That's that girls' cat." She heard someone say.

"You damn rat, just shut the Hell up and let's go! She's going to die!" She heard someone shout and then the door was thrown open to let her see Shigure.

"Please…" She whispered and he looked down at her in shock and horror as she held her side while blood fell out.

"Tohru-ch-chan…" She called before she fell forward the paper slipping from her grasp and unconsciousness came over her.

"Makoto-kun!" She heard him shout and felt herself fall against him and then, nothing.

-:-

"So… Are you sure she'll live?" She heard a distant voice ask but ignored it; she was too tired to comprehend words and what they meant.

"Yes, I think she should be recovered in about a week or two… You're lucky because if it had been any other person besides the Kino girl, I would have left her to die." She heard a voice and then the word Kino brought her back to her senses.

"You're so mean Haa-san…" She heard the voices fade and then her eyes shot open and she flew up.

"Luna-Ahh!" She cried and she rolled over holding her stomach and side in pain.

"K-Kino-san! Don't move! I-I think you've just reopened your wounds." She heard a voice say and she moaned and looked up to see purple eyes staring down at her.

"Hotaru…" She whispered thinking that she even heard her laugh in her mind.

"No, Kino-san… You're in the Sohma house again. Hatori!" She heard him shout frantically.

She gripped his hand that was next to her and she had tears in her eyes.

"P-please?" She choked and tears fell from her eyes.

"I don't care about me, just tell if Luna's okay." She cried and tears fell down her cheeks and he looked down at her with a sweet smile. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Luna; she was Usagi's guardian after all.

"Your cat is fine, but she's sleeping. Now stay here, since you've reopened your wounds we'll have to rewrap you bandages." He spoke and as he walked away he heard her cry tears of joy and gave her a small smile as he walked out the door.

"She did what!?" She heard a voice shout and then feet pounded back to her room and she looked up with tear-filled eyes to see Shigure and a man that could have passed as his brother.

"Makoto-kun… You look pitiful." Shigure spoke and she watched as they walked into the room and over to the bed she was in.

Her eyes were on the dark haired man next to Shigure. She knew him, or at least she was supposed to.

She watched him walk over to her and place a hand on her forehead.

"D-…Do I know you?" She whispered and watched as he stiffened and looked away.

"When you were little I knew your father." He replied and looked down to see her bleeding through her shirt and snarled.

"Damn it." He mumbled and she watched as he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and she quickly grabbed it and shook her head frantically as she blushed a deep red.

"N-no… I-I'm fine! I swear! Hehehe..." She answered her face turning more red the longer he stared at her, which he was mentally telling her she better let go of the damn shirt or she was going to die.

She looked back over to Yuki and gave him a pleading look but he just looked away, knowing that if she was hurt then that was what was needed.

"Kino-san, if you don't want to die then I suggest you let go of the shirt." The man, whom she thought she heard Yuki call Hatori, spoke venomously.

She growled and snarled as she looked over at Yuki and Shigure.

"Is it truly necessary that they stay in here and watch!?" She growled glaring daggers at Shigure for not helping her.

"Come Shigure." She heard Yuki say and drag him out of the room.

She looked back to Hatori and blushed as he examined the wound on her side and abdomen.

"Yuki was in here for a reason…" She heard him mumble and began to take of the wrap as she winced but bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain.

"_Oh damn this hurts so bad…"_ She thought and closed her eyes tightly and felt him stop and she looked down to see him glaring at her.

"You're supposed to tell me when it hurts." He spoke and she pursed her lips.

"I'm. Fine." She growled as he sighed heavily.

About five minutes later he was done.

"You're not to move for a day and then you can slowly start getting up." He replied and walked out of the room without even saying goodbye.

As he walked out the door she stuck her tongue out and growled.

"What a jerk…" She murmured and then something came back to her thoughts.

"Tohru…" She whispered and looked around to make sure no one was coming into the room and stood up. She grasped the side on the bed and breathed heavily and then tried walking to the door.

She was just about to open it when it was opened for her.

"Makoto-kun, Haa-san is gone now and we would lik-… You are a very naive girl aren't you?" Shigure asked and she looked up blushing.

"Kino-san… Can't you sit still for at least one moment?" Yuki asked next to him and she sighed.

"Where is Honda Tohru? Please, her grandfather said that she and Kyoko-chan were living here now." She spoke and breathed heavily and watched the two men exchange glances.

"Come; let's speak in the living room." Shigure spoke quietly and Makoto slowly followed while Yuki stayed behind to make sure she didn't fall.

Within a few minutes they were settled around the living room table.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Makoto asked impatiently.

"Honda-san lives here yes, but right now she's gone on a vacation with her two friends and won't be back until about a week from now. But that's alright because you won't be able to go anywhere for about that amount of time." Yuki spoke and Makoto looked absolutly overjoyed.

"So, she really does… So is Kyoko-chan with her?" Makoto asked happily and they paused.

"No, she's not." Shigure answered quietly and Makoto smiled even wider.

"So she's here?!" Makoto almost stood up but then she noticed something, she noticed their expressions.

"_Where are my mama and papa!? Are they alright!? Did you find them!?"_

"_I'm sorry, but your parents didn't make it…"_

She sat down and clapped her hand over her quivering lips. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"K-Kyoko-chan is dead isn't she?" She asked softly and they looked up at see the tears spill from her eyes and over her hand.

"You had the same look that the people who told me my parents had died in the plane crash had on… Full of, sympathy and guilt for being the ones to burden this person with the tragic news." She gulped and placed her head in her hands and cried.

"Sh-She offered for me to live with her! She was my mother's best friend! My godmother!... But I told her no, because I was too busy clinging to the death of my parents!... I hadn't spoken to her since! Tohru-chan's my first and best friend and I wasn't even there for her! She's like my sister… She… We grew up together!" She cried and her body wracked with sobs.

"I'm so sorry Tohru… I'm so sorry I was never there for you, I know it hurts worse when you're alone…" She cried hoping that her childhood friend would walk through the door and comfort her and tell her that it was alright.

She felt a hand on her cheek and looked up to see Shigure looking down at her thoughtfully.

"Tohru-kun wouldn't want you to feel guilty for not being there, if you're the Makoto she always spoke of, I'm sure she'd just be happy to know that you're here now." Shigure spoke and Makoto looked down and wiped her tears away.

"Sh-she talked about me?" She asked solemnly.

"We can't ever compliment her on her cooking without her saying, 'but you haven't tried this dish until you've tasted Mako-chan's'." Yuki replied and Makoto looked over at him and saw that he wasn't lying.

"H-how is she taking it? When did it happen?" Makoto asked frantically, wishing desperately that Tohru would walk through the door at that moment.

"It happened almost a year ago, and she seems to want to keep it to herself and not bother others with it, or make them feel saddened for her." Yuki spoke and she looked to see him looking out the window.

"You care for her as well…" Makoto spoke with a matter of fact tone of voice and watched Yuki's head snap in her direction.

"I've been saying the same thing." Shigure whispered and watched Makoto smile slightly and he sighed seeing her father's face flash in front of his eyes.

"You may stay here until you're well and until Tohru-kun returns. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed that her childhood friend has returned." Shigure smiled down at her and she shook her head back and forth.

"N-no, I couldn't let you do that for me… I'll just go to a hotel or something I-"

"Did you not plan on staying with Tohru-kun, Makoto-kun?" Shigure asked and Makoto looked away with a guilty blush.

"I suppose, but this is a different situation!" She shouted but Shigure shook his head.

"Your father told me that you were strong and he told me that if anything ever happened to him, to protect you and take care of you… You tell yourself that you're strong and you may be, but everyone needs to depend on someone else for a little while sometimes, Makoto-kun." Shigure spoke and Makoto looked to the ground taking in those words and supposed that she would have to agree with them.

"You knew papa well didn't you Shigure-san." Makoto stated and watched him smile and nod.

"Yes, I did and I thought I knew the little Kino Makoto well too, but it seems that she's grown up now." He replied and she felt herself blush and heard his body crash into the ground.

"Come on, Kino-san let's get you something to eat." Yuki spoke and pulled Makoto along as he growled at his cousins' perverted ways.

He pulled her into the kitchen and then realized he had nothing to feed her.

"Um… Well…" He started and looked to see her falling to the floor.

"Kino-san! What's wrong!?" He shouted and looked down at her to see that she couldn't speak.

"What's wrong with her now?" Shigure asked and walked in and gave the girl a questioning look.

"H-h-how?..." She asked and they looked at her strangely.

"How what?" Shigure asked and she turned to him.

"HOW CAN YOU LIVE IN THIS DUMP!?" She screeched as they winced at the harshness of her voice.

They looked to see that she had vanished from the floor and was moving around cleaning the kitchen.

"Ah! Makoto-kun! You're going to hurt your-" Shigure was stopped by her holding a spray bottle that said 'Clean It' on it, to his face.

"I refuse to sit and let people feed me food that's in the same room as this mess." She growled and went back to cleaning.

"Okay, so maybe she takes after her mother as well." Shigure spoke with a sweat drop.

After a while she had the kitchen sparkling and Yuki and Shigure looked in interest at the shiny spots on the counter.

"She's quite a bit like Tohru-kun… Just more forceful." Shigure spoke and pulled his finger along the counter in interest.

She sat down at the table and sighed feeling much more relieved.

"Um, I have a question… There was a boy who saved me last night… He had bright orange hair… Do you know who he is, or where he is?" Makoto asked without looking at them and Yuki rolled his eyes not even bothering to worry about the cat.

"Uh, that would be our cousin Kyou. And um… Hum, come to think of it, we haven't seen him since we brought you in the house last night." Shigure spoke and Makoto snapped her head up in confusion.

"You're kidding right?" She spoke raising an eyebrow and grabbed her piece of toast in front of her and munched on the end of it.

Shigure shrugged and walked out of the room to find Yuki waiting for him.

"Are you sure we can let her live with us? What if she finds out about the curse as well?" Yuki asked and watched Shigure as he walked past him and sat on the couch and grabbed a book.

"Que sera, sera. Yuki, I can't let her leave… I can not go back on my word to her father. Why do you think Hatori took care of her wounds?" Shigure asked and Yuki then realized that maybe Shigure wasn't the only one that was to look over the brunette.

Yuki sighed and sat down on the chair mauling over what the possibilities were.

Her heard Makoto then enter the room and sit on the floor and look up at the ceiling.

"It's amazing how identical this place is to what my house looked like… I almost expect to hear mom in the kitchen and hear the dishes clink… It's unnerving and comforting at the same time, very strange." She whispered and turned over to see something that made her gasp.

Yuki and Shigure looked up to see her, hoping that she hadn't hurt herself.

But watched in horror at what she did next.

"You guys have a cat!?" She squealed and wrapped her arms around the small feline under a table and hugged him and scratched his ears.

Shigure and Yuki stood up in shock and frantically tried to think of a distraction to make her put Kyou down before he transformed back into a human.

"_That damned cat is going to ruin everything! He used too much energy last night and still hasn't transformed back into a human!" _Yuki screamed in his thoughts.

"Uh-um-we-Makoto-kun… Uh.." Shigure stuttered and watched as Makoto sat the cat in her lap and stroked his fur while he slept.

"What is wrong with you two, he's just a cat…" She spoke softly and smiled as she laid on her back and lifted him over her head and watched him slowly wake up.

"Hehehe, he looks so cute… He looks a little tired too." She smiled at the orange cat that was now unmoving and unblinking.

"Aw, what's wrong kitty?" She asked petting him and then brought her lips to his nose then- boom.

Suddenly she was flattened to the floor her lips connected with something other than a nose.

"Oh dear… This isn't good is it?" She heard Shigure asked and then suddenly she saw two orange orbs peering down at her and their lips connected.

She just stayed like that for a few minutes and he watched her face slowly turn red from head to toe.

He pulled away and she still wouldn't move or talk and neither would he.

"Y-y-y-y-you?... YOU!?" She screamed looked down and looked back up to see his eyes grow wide.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed and slammed her fist into his cheek and sent him fly into the window.

She scrambled up and fell forward as she tripped over the table.

"Makoto-kun!"

"Kino-san!" The two boys shouted not wanting to have Hatori come over and fix her wounds again caught her.

Wind pushed back her hair and she fell to the ground and held her side in pain.

"Makoto-kun?" She heard Shigure ask and she opened her eyes to see a dog looking down at her.

"AH!" She screamed and sat up to see a small rat sitting next to the dog.

"Makoto-kun, please calm down." Shigure spoke and Makoto gulped and nodded, besides, she had a talking cat in the other room. She's dealt with this kind of stuff… Right?

"Kino-san, I apologize for not getting that stupid cat away from you soon enough." Yuki spoke and she sighed and nodded her head.

"It's… It's alright, Sohma-san." She spoke and looked over to see the boy from last night sitting cross-legged with a curtain wrapped around his body as he stood up.

"Stupid girl." She heard him growl as he walked by and fell to the ground when he felt a small candle that was once on the living room table connect with his head. He turned to see Makoto glaring at him with ferocity.

"I'm not the idiot who's wearing a curtain now am I, orangey?" She growled and he fumed.

"What'd you say!?" He screamed and she stood up and marched over to him.

"I said, I'm not the idiot who's wearing a curtain now am I, **orangey!?** Are you sure you don't need me to repeat it again!?" She screamed as he sneered.

"You should be grateful! Thanks to me, you're alive!" He shouted and she huffed.

"No, thanks to your unpunctuality I was almost killed!" She screamed back and stepped forward as did he.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to just know when a weak girl's in trouble!?" He shouted and was thrown though the open door and she marched over to it.

"Wow, you just got you're ass kicked by a weak girl, that's pretty pathetic!" She screamed and walked away.

"I know!" She heard him shout back and she quickly grabbed another candle but was stopped by Shigure before she even made it to the kitchen

"It's not worth it." He spoke.

"Oh yes it is! **He's** the type of man who CAN'T STAND TO LOOSE! So I'm going to show him who the boss is!" She screamed and ran out to the kitchen and chucked the candle at him before he could come in.

"HEY!" They heard the curtain cloaked boy scream.

"Both the same personalities, they're always going to have a conflict… She's just as violent as him... Yes, very much like her father indeed… Kenta-kun was always hot-tempered." Shigure spoke and looked at Yuki who was stunned by her vulgar actions.

"Okay, I think you're wrong about her being like Honda-san, Shigure." Yuki spoke as Makoto walked back into the room, a triumphant smile on her lips.

Shigure sighed and lowered his head in defeat and thinking of the numerous fights the boy and girl would get in and add to Kyo's and Yuki's brawling.

"This is going to be a long talk…" He spoke and Makoto turned to face the two other animals.

"Alright, Makoto-kun… Let's see if I can explain this quickly." Shigure spoke and Makoto took a seat next to them, now fully interested as to why people were changing back and forth into to little animals.

-:-

Wow… That was really long and I still feel like nothing happened. Well, I hope you all liked it and you don't know how bad I want to write about Rei and Taru right now, but I have to get certain things out first before they enter the picture, but I promise they'll be in the next chapter! And this obviously takes place when all of them are on Spring Break, but I wanted Tohru to go on a vacation with her friends so, yeah… I'm going to follow the book in some parts and then in others I'm not. This story was completely inspired by Pink's song "Who Knew" it might even give you a few ideas about the plot if you read the lyrics, I even named it and the chapter after lines in the song; they fit just perfectly. Um, well please be kind with your reviews, I'm a Furuba newbie so… Please? And I will be updating this next and not The Ties of Fate, but after I get chapter two of this out, I will! I hope you all enjoyed this and will continue reading it. Man… Suna/Ayame is going to be so funny to write! XD

-Kat


	2. It's A Small World After All

Okay, super fast update for me, so don't except this to happen often, I've just gone crazy in love with this story and am already half way done with chapter three. I want to thank you all so much for your wonderful and kind reviews! You really don't know how much I appreciate each one of them! And it makes me even happier to know that you guys are enjoying reading it as much that I am writing it! Hum… I think this chapter turned out alright, personally I don't find it up to my standards but I'm not sure what to change to make myself like it more… But I do like the end; it was very fun writing it, I was snickering at all the fun things I was planning when I wrote it! Well thank you guys again and I hope you enjoy this! Oh yes, and the pairing for Sets has changed to a Aaya/Suna/Shigure because thanks to Mio Fah-chan she has made my mind spawn many crazy ideas for **that**! Hehehehe...

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Until We Meet Again

Chapter Two- It's A Small World After All

-:- Last Time -:-

Shigure sighed and lowered his head in defeat and thinking of the numerous fights the boy and girl would get in and add to Kyou's and Yuki's brawling.

"This is going to be a long talk…" He spoke and Makoto turned to face the two other animals.

"Alright, Makoto-kun… Let's see if I can explain this quickly." Shigure spoke and Makoto took a seat next to them, now fully interested as to why people were changing back and forth into little animals.

She held her side as she watched the small purple colored rat hop on the sofa next to her.

Shigure then began explaining everything about the Zodiac to her and only the simple things that she needed to know to understand.

"So… Can I even touch you?" She asked looking at them like she might give them disease if she would even breathe on them.

"No… That's fine; we just simply can't embrace the opposite sex." Shigure laughed and she couldn't help but scratch his head. At the mention of the word sex her mind began to reel and her face flushed.

"So you can't… You'd have to love someone an awful lot to…" She stopped herself but squeezing her eyes tight and her face burning with embarrassment.

"Hehehe, you dirty minded little girl." Shigure laughed as she pouted and lowered her head, trying to mask the bright red tint of her cheeks.

"But you can't tell anyone about this… No one." Makoto stiffened at his now serious tone. She hadn't heard him speak so sternly.

"No one?" She asked hearing Setsuna's words telling her that if she even **sensed** something strange there to tell her.

"No one, not even your friends." He replied and she gulped thinking that he possibly could have read her mind.

"Did my parents know about this?" She asked and felt the dog tense as she moved her hand away.

"Yes… They both did." He replied and she nodded her head slowly and then realization hit her and she flew off the couch, grimacing at the pain in her side from the quick movements.

"Y-you said you change back… So when you do, you'll… You'll be naked like Orangey over there won't y-" Makoto was cut off my their bodies expanding back to their normal forms.

All it took was a few split seconds and her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell backwards to the floor, unconscious.

"K-Kino-san!" Yuki shouted seeing that she was on the floor with bloody nose, red liquid sliding down her cheek.

Shigure laughed as he placed his clothes back on and walked over to her.

"Ahh, this girl makes me feel so youthful." Shigure laughed happily as he then noticed she was bleeding on the rug.

"Ah! Yuki-kun! Get something to make her stop bleeding on the rug!" Shigure whined and jumped around frantically.

"You just wasted that time telling me to, when you could be doing it yourself." Yuki growled as he slipped his shirt over his head.

"But, I don't know what to do!" Shigure whined again.

"A tissue, Shigure." Yuki commanded irritatedly and you could almost see the light bulb appear over Shigure's head as he then twisted them and stuffed them up her nostrils.

"Kenta better be grateful…" He growled and he pulled her up into a sitting position and titled her head back as she leaned on the couch.

"Why did you tell her?... You're just going to have to erase her memories now." Yuki replied looking down at the seemingly uncomfortable looking girl.

Shigure sighed as he sat back down in the chair he once resided in before the catastrophe had happened.

"Actually, Yuki… Even if Akito-san commanded that we erase her memories, we can't… Haa-san had also promised to never harm Makoto… We just have to trust her and if she is her father's daughter, hopefully that will not be a problem…" He spoke and Yuki furrowed his brow.

"Hatori would go against Akito over a girl whom is the daughter of a man he knew years ago?" Yuki asked skeptically as Shigure looked up with a wry grin.

"You make it sound as if it was a mere promise to be broken, Yuki-kun. This is a promise that will withstand, it is to be unbreakable." Shigure spoke softly and watched Yuki lower his eyes down to the sleeping girl.

"Now, why don't you go and fetch her a pillow or something. Just looking at her neck in that ninety degree angle is making me sore." Shigure waved him off as he growled, but he really didn't want to leave Makoto like that.

Within a few minutes after Yuki had left to retrieve the pillow, she began to cough and looked over to see Shigure sitting in the chair glasses on and a book in his hand.

She then remembered what had happened and ripped the tissues out of her nostrils and blushed.

"Oh, God… I-I didn't?" She whined and heard the older man laugh.

"Oh, yes you did, Makoto-kun." He laughed and she placed her head in her hands.

"This is so embarrassing…" He heard her muffled voice whine into her hands.

"Oh, don't be so shy. You were about to kill Kyou-kun when you just met him... You have such a fluctuating personality, Makoto-kun…" He replied not even seeing her interesting enough to keep him from looking up from his book.

Her head snapped up, the blush on her cheeks deepening.

"Hey! He deserved that! This is different! And he could have warned me… Scratched me or something!" She screamed and before Shigure could speak again she heard footfalls behind her.

"I think you'll be happy to see her." She heard Yuki say and she turned around to see Luna in his arms, her red eyes looking calmly at Makoto.

Makoto's mouth fell open and she her lips begin to quiver as she saw the bandages on her tiny body.

She quickly stood up, ignoring the pain in her body and rushed to hold the poor feline.

Yuki gladly handed her to her and watched with a small smile and Makoto looked down at her and tears came to her eyes.

"Why did you do that, Luna?" She asked and knew that she couldn't answer. She walked over to the couch and slowly lowered herself to the cushion.

"What did happen so that you got into that fight, Kino-san?" Yuki asked and she saw that he was now sitting next to her, looking down at the black haired cat.

"Well… I was running to get to your house because I thought that it was my address and I wanted to be sure, because obviously this is completely ironic… But when I turned the corner I ran into one of those guys and you know what they say, the rest is history." She replied and looked to see him still looking down at the cat.

"And you tried to fight them?" Shigure flashed a glance up to her and she blushed.

"Well, yeah! And if I wouldn't have been so damn tired from running around everywhere today, I would have been able to take each one of them without the help of cat-boy!" She growled angrily thinking of the orange haired bastard that in the first few spoken words in their first conversation she had made her put him on her list of loathed people.

"So I take it you still train yourself, even after the death of your father?" Shigure asked and she sighed with a nod.

"Yes, actually one of my best friends is an amazing martial artist and we train regularly with each other." She admitted thinking of Haruka and wondering how she was doing in America and hoping that she was watching over Usagi well.

She looked down at Luna and smiled at her and caressed her soft ears as she spoke.

"Shigure-san, please let me do something to repay you for letting me stay here… I've already caused you so much trouble and I haven't even been here for twenty-four hours yet." She spoke but Yuki replied.

"It's alright, Kino-san. You're a good friend of Honda-san's so it's fine if you stay here." Yuki smiled and she blushed seeing him give her that dashing smile again.

"I know… But still…" She replied looking the other way and heard Shigure slap his book shut making both Yuki and Makoto snap their heads up in wonder.

"Makoto-kun, do you enjoy cleaning?... Housework, even?" Shigure asked and Yuki simmered.

"Shigure, she is injured. What makes you think she's alright to walk around?" Yuki asked and Makoto was beginning to catch on.

"I'll do housekeeping, cooking… Gardening." She added and Yuki looked at her with interest.

"See, see, Yuki-kun! She can even be of help to you!" Shigure shouted excitedly suddenly remembering all of the things Tohru had mentioned about 'Makoto's Famous Something' which would be whatever Tohru had made that night.

Makoto looked over at Yuki with a smile.

"You enjoy gardening?" He asked quietly and she blushed and scratched the back of her head.

"Well, I've always had a thing for plants; my apartment back at home is filled with them… My mother always told me I had a green thumb, so to speak." She smiled sheepishly and looked down at Luna to see that she had fallen asleep.

"So what should I make for dinner tonight?" Makoto asked with a smile and Yuki shook his head.

"We shouldn't have even let you come out into the living room Kino-san. You're still injured, remember. We don't want to have to call Hatori once more." Yuki replied and noticed that she almost looked crestfallen.

"Please?" She asked looking at him pleadingly and he blushed at her closeness.

"Please, I promise I won't cause you anymore trouble…" She begged with a small smile and watched as his blush deepened.

"_He's so shy…"_ She thought and heard Shigure laugh.

"Go ahead, Makoto-kun… There's no need to beg and ruffle Yuki-kun's feathers." Shigure laughed as the purple haired boy's head snapped in his direction, sending him an angry glare.

"Thank you! It's been so long since I've cooked for someone… What would you like?" She asked enthusiastically and watched as Yuki gathered a devilish grin on his face.

"I suddenly have the biggest urge for leeks and liver." Yuki spoke and Makoto cocked an eye-brow at him and Shigure sighed in defeat knowing that the boy was only causing problems for Kyou.

"Leeks and liver?... Just-… That's all you want?" She asked thinking of many other dishes that would go well with it.

"Yes, that sounds good, besides you shouldn't make something large since you're still not up to par." He spoke and stood as he was going out to his garden to fetch enough for a fresh batch for her to cook.

"Alright then…" She spoke and looked down at Luna in her arms and smiled.

"I think I'll make her something tasty… Besides, she hates leeks." She spoke and Shigure laughed shaking his head as she walked out of the room.

-:-

She smiled and leaned against the counter feeling considerably better since she was moving around and watched Luna clean her paw as she sat on the countertop next to her.

"I hope you like this Luna… You deserve something for being such an idiot and jumping at that bastard like that…" Makoto spoke and watched Luna roll her eyes and watch as Makoto opened a can of tuna and placed it in the frying pan.

She smiled as she watched Luna sigh happily at the smell.

"Mako, that smells delicious." She whispered and Makoto laughed as she stirred the frying fish in butter.

She sighed as she sat down in the chair and watched as Yuki entered the back door, a handful of fresh leeks in his grasp.

"Oh! Sohma-san! Those look wonderful! And they're so fresh!" Makoto jumped over at how amazing the leeks looked.

"Did you get this from a store?" She asked walking away with them and he gave her a small smile.

"No actually I have my own small garden out back." He watched her turn around, her eyes sparkling.

"Really!? Oh, I've always wanted a garden to grow fresh vegetables and fruits from so I could always make wonderful fresh dishes!" She smiled and began running them under the water getting rid of the dirt.

"You may plant something there if you'd like to." He spoke and then he realized that she would only be here for a week. She turned around smiling happily.

"Really? You won't mind?" She asked and watched him smile slightly and nod and she turned around quickly feeling her face heat up once more.

Her eyes darted over to where Luna once was and saw that she was gone. She quickly turned around looking for her, but only saw Yuki sitting at the table and Luna was gone.

"Lu-... Luna?" She asked looking around and Yuki looked up to see her walking away from the stove in search of the feline.

"Why are you following me!?" She heard a voice shout and sweat dropped and turned around back to the stove and saw Yuki smirking.

He walked out into the kitchen, Luna in toe with him and he looked over to see Makoto stirring something that smelled delicious in a pan.

He then looked over at Yuki to see him smirking and he growled venomously.

"What are you looking at you damned rat?!" He shouted vehemently and Makoto turned around to see the two of them glaring and Luna sitting happily next to Kyou.

She sighed deciding to just stay out of it and go on with her own thing.

She heard the chair being pulled out signaling that Kyou had sat down and prepared to take the leeks out of frying pan as well as the tuna in the other pan.

She walked back over to the tuna and began to dish it out on to a plate. She had to admit, it did smell good.

"Here you go, Luna." Makoto smiled and watched her jump out of Kyou's lap and down to the dish as she rolled her eyes.

She lowered herself and stroked her back looking at the bandages and sighed and stood back up and turned to the leeks and liver.

"Ahh! Makoto-kun! That smells so wonderful!" She heard Shigure speaking energetically as she smiled without turning around as she placed the leeks on the plate and salted and peppered them and was shortly followed my the liver.

"Shigure-san, you're like a little kid… Or Usagi…" She mumbled and turned around taking them to the table.

"Who's Usagi? Will we meet her?" Shigure asked getting excited at the name of another female.

She sweat dropped and rolled her eyes.

"Usagi-chan is my friend from Juuban who is visiting her fiancée in the America's where he is going to college." She replied and he rolled his eyes.

"Long distant relationships never work anyway." He replied swatting carelessly at the air with his hand almost like something was flying around his head.

"Actually, I think if there was ever a couple to be together forever, it's Usa-chan and Mamoru. It's strange though because when they first met, they hated each other." She mused and sat down at the table and placed the plates in front of each of them.

"I know it's small, but you all don't have very much I can work with here." She spoke but no one was really paying attention to her they were looking at Kyou who was simmering.

"Well, Kyou-kun, why don't you-" Shigure was stopped by Kyou standing up and glaring at Yuki.

"You bastard you told her to make these didn't you!?" He screamed and Makoto stopped halfway from putting the food in her mouth and watched in interest at the two boys.

"She made it, Kyou, just be polite and eat them." Yuki replied and placed it in his mouth smiling over at Makoto.

"These taste wonderful, Kino-san." He spoke kindly and she blushed happily and nodded.

"Um… If you don't like it, I'll make you something else." She offered trying to pose that as a peace offering to their previous bickering.

He looked down at her and glared.

"No, just forget it." He growled and Shigure sighed knowing what was going to happen next.

"Fine!" She shouted and stood up grabbing his plate and threw his portion in the trash and hastily threw the dish in the sink.

"Then you, you little ungrateful bastard, can find you own dinner!" She screamed and poked him hard in the chest with her finger and sat down to finish eating, a sneer on her face.

"You-" Suddenly she heard him being cut off and looked up to see Yuki standing in a fighting position.

Her eyes widened and realized that they were really going to fight. She stood up a worried look on her face.

"You were going to try and attack her." Yuki glared dangerously at the orange haired boy who didn't say anything, but only glared.

Makoto bit her bottom lip and cursed herself for overreacting and causing this problem.

She stepped forward slightly.

"Um… Look, you don't need to fight each other." She spoke softly and took another step towards Yuki who was the closest.

"Stay back, Kino-san." He commanded sternly and she looked the other way and watched as Kyou ran towards him and she panicked.

She quickly jumped between them and grabbed Yuki's leg and turned to grab Kyou's oncoming punch but it was too late.

Yuki watched as her eyes grew wide and her grip loosened on his leg that she had caught before it made contact with Kyou's body.

"Ahn." She moaned and stumbled to the ground her vision blurring and she held her side in pain breathing heavily. She looked up to see Kyou looking at her with a shocked expression after seeing what he had done.

"Makoto-kun! Are you alright?" Shigure asked standing up and hurriedly walking over to her but she sat there gripping her side and digging her nails into the ground.

"I-…I'm f-fine…" She whimpered through her labored breathes and felt Shigure place a hand on her shoulder and looked at her worriedly.

Just as she looked up she saw Yuki sneering at Kyou.

"You idiot." He growled to Kyou.

"W-wait, don't-" She whispered and just as she reached out to stop him and slammed his fist into Kyou's jaw, sending him flying into the wall and she gasped.

She sighed and looked down knowing now that Kyou would never forgive her.

-:- Later That Night -:-

She sat on the bed and sighed helplessly. She felt awful for causing all of those problems, even for Kyou. She had hoped that he would have forgiven her and all she did was make it worse. She turned over and lifted up her shirt and let her hands travel across the bandaged wound. Even after Kyou had hit her, it still didn't hurt half as bad as it had this morning. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes thinking of everything that had happened in this one day. Okay so she had seen all three of those deathly handsome men **completely** naked, one being on top of her and kissing her. She had watched them turn into adorable little animals that could talk. And she started a fight at the dinner table.

"You did just great, Mako-chan…" She murmured and slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Well, in all honesty Makoto, if it makes you feel any better I'm sure Usagi would have found some way to make it worse." Luna added at the foot of her bed as she chuckled thinking of Usagi as she would probably trip and make the two turn into animals before they were able to fight.

"I suppose you're right, Luna… But still, I feel bad for being too, for lack of a better word, harsh on Kyou…" She spoke and then felt her stomach rumbled and looked down at it blushing.

"You didn't finish eating did you?" Luna asked and she shook her head.

"I was too angry to eat." She replied and Luna sweat dropped. The cat then stood up and walked over to her and sat next to her face.

"Then go downstairs and find something for yourself to eat, Makoto. You're trying to heal your body, so you're going to need food to help you do that." Luna spoke and nudged her with her head and she sat up.

"B-but what if one of them is still awake?" She stuttered and stood up from the bed.

"Then you say, 'hello', I don't care you need food!" Luna pestered and she stood up and walked to the door.

"Okay, okay… Geez, you're so crabby." Makoto mumbled and slowly walked out the door looking both ways and tiptoed to the stairs and down them.

She looked around and sighed seeing no one was in the kitchen.

She walked over to the fridge got out the milk and remembered seeing a box of cereal in the cabinet. She quietly walked over getting it out as well as a bowl. She sighed once she had gotten her food made and quietly walked into the living room.

"Hum… They just left the T.V. on?" She asked softly and sat down on the sofa and felt something stir under her. She couldn't move even if she wanted to. She closed her eyes tightly and didn't breathe.

"You're sitting on my legs." She heard him growl and closed her eyes tighter hoping that if she didn't move, he wouldn't see her.

"I said-"

"I know, I know!" She shouted and opened her eyes as she looked at him apologetically and quickly stood up.

He didn't say anything as he stood up taking his blanket and pillow and began walking away as her eyes followed after him.

"W-wait, please come back." She spoke sounding much more desperate than she wanted to and cringed at it. She watched him turn around and glare at her questioningly.

"Please?... I want to talk to you, Kyou." She spoke as sweet as she could and watched as he was probably mentally fighting with himself to leave or not. If he did leave, she would probably get violent again… And if he stayed, he wasn't quiet sure yet what would happen.

She watched him slowly walk back over and she smiled and moved over, leaving enough room for him to sit.

"Look…" She said looking at the muted T.V.

"I just want to apologize for acting the way that I did with you even after you really did save my life… I just sometimes get carried away and I'm a little short fused if you haven't noticed." She laughed a little and noticed that he wasn't and blushed.

"I'm sorry, I'll just leave-" She was stopped by him speaking.

"You know I didn't mean to hit you, right?" He asked not daring to look at her as she snapped her head in his direction and lowered herself back down next to him.

She looked down at her bowl of cereal and stirred it around smiling.

"I know…" She replied softly with a small blush.

For a few seconds they just sat there looking at the muted screen, pictures flashing but to either of them none of it registered. Suddenly she heard a loud grumbling and looked to see him with an angry and smug look on his face and smiled.

"You could have just said you were hungry." She laughed and he watched as she sat her bowl down on the table and stood up.

"What do you want?" She asked and he looked at her like she was crazy.

"If you don't tell me, I'm just going to give you the first thing I find." She trailed on.

"You don't need to do that-"

"Fine, cereal it is then. That's your loss." She spoke already turned around and he sat there for a minute listening to her get the things out.

"_She's nothing like Tohru…"_ He thought comically and watched her walk back in a blow in hand.

"Here." She smiled and took her seat back next to him and began eating her food once more.

"Did your father teach you to fight like that?" He asked and she looked over at him curiously and then realized what he was talking about.

"Oh, you mean with those assholes… yeah, he was the only real sensei I ever had, I had one after that, but he wasn't really a long-term kind of thing… I think I only stayed for about a week." She trailed on and looked back at him questioningly.

"Why do you ask?" She ventured wondering where exactly he was going with this conversation. She watched him stiffen and then pursed his lips as he blushed again.

"Because you weren't too bad." He replied and she rolled her eyes.

"Well, you weren't **too bad** yourself." She mocked with a small smile and got an idea.

"And since you weren't **too bad** I really wouldn't mind training with you when my wound heals." She smiled daringly and watched him turn his head and smirk.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind kicking your ass." He mused as she snorted.

"Right, I'd like to see you try…" She rolled her eyes and smirked as she began to eat once again as did he. This was really awkward for her… Maybe she should have just not listened to Luna, even though it seemed as though she and Kyou may finally get along… Maybe.

"Why are you two always fighting, anyway?" She asked and he looked at her curiously and growled.

"You know the story of the Zodiac with the cat don't you?" He growled and she looked up.

"Yeah, my mother used to tell it to me…" She spoke thinking fondly of the memory.

"Then you know about the cat and the rat… They said if I can beat him, just once I can become a part of the 'Inner' Zodiac and finally be respected." He spoke and she could hear the gloom lingering in his voice and thought of the perfect thing to tell him.

"You know, it's funny…" She blushed as she spoke and then looked up at him smiling.

"My mother used to tell me every time when she was done telling the story, that if there was ever one to choose out of the Zodiac, I should pick the cat… I never could understand what she meant. If she meant to be born under the sign of the cat or, I was like the cat or even to fall in love with… him…" She paused and looked up blushing a deeper red than she already was and to see him as well.

"Hehehe, you know what, never mind!" She laughed and lowered her head in shame. She looked over at the clock, still blushing and stood up.

"W-well, I better go to bed before we wake someone up…" She smiled down at him, her cheeks still considerably red.

She walked into the kitchen and placed her dishes in the sink and walked back out. As soon as she was about to walk up from the base of the stairs she turned around to look at him and smiled kindly.

"Kyou." She called lightly and watched him slowly look over his shoulder. She bit her bottom lip and cursed herself for blushing again.

"… Thank you again for saving me, I owe you my life… Good night." She smiled softly as she watched him give her a shocked expression and she silently walked up the stairs and closed the door behind her.

He watched with a smile from behind the kitchen wall.

"They try and stop it, and ten years later, it happened anyway…" He mused and watched as Kyou stood and made his way to the kitchen, his expression showing that he was deep in thought. He walked in and flipped the switch on.

"Boo." He heard a voice say and jumped ten feet in the air.

"Haha! Cat's are always so easy to scare!" Shigure laughed as he watched Kyou growled and pushed past him.

"What the Hell are you doing up anyway!?" He shouted and threw his dishes in the sink and turned around to see the older man smiling at him with his arms crossed.

"I should be asking you what you're doing up this late with her. At little late night rendezvous?" He rolled his eye-brows suggestively.

"You're a damned idiot, Shigure! Why and how could I possibly ever have feelings for some girl like her who I also just met!?" He shouted and pushed past him once more but Shigure grabbed his elbow.

"Because you know you will. The first step is always denial." Shigure smirked and watched Kyou seethe and rip his arm away.

"Go to bed you ass." He growled and jumped back on to the couch.

-:- One Week Later -:-

She smiled as she felt the warmth on her face from the morning sun. She rolled over and hugged her overly fluffy pillow and then it hit her what today truly was. She flipped over in the bed and looked at the picture on the desk next to her. She had known that this was Tohru's room the minute she walked into it. And what really gave it away was that the other girl had a picture of Makoto and her hugging, the same one Makoto kept in her photo album.

She hopped out of the bed and stretched and then fluffed her curly locks with her hands.

"Come on, Luna! Today's the day that Tohru-chan comes home!" She shouted happily as she picked the sleeping cat up. Oh how Makoto loved it that her wounds were healed and she could move about and do as she pleased!

"Luna we-" She was cut off by the sounds of shouts she heard from downstairs and she listened out the door.

"Get the Hell away from me!" She heard Kyou shout and knew that it wasn't Yuki that was causing this problem. Then she thought of the first thing that came to her mind.

"Burglars!" She shouted and looked around and grabbed the closest thing she could find which was a coat hanger and took off with it down the hall.

"I said get away from me!" She heard Kyou scream once again and she ran down the stairs as fast as she could.

"Kyou! I'm com-Ah!" She screamed and fell forward and tripped down the rest of the stairs head first.

"Oww." She moaned and quickly picked herself up and got in a stance similar to a baseball player getting ready to hit the oncoming ball but she was using a coat hanger.

"Kyou what's wrong!? Ar-" She stopped shouting to see that Kyou was being hugged by what she thought was a blonde haired boy, she wasn't sure if she was wrong or not, and it seemed as if everyone, including Hatori was sitting in the living room in the middle of drinking tea.

"W-what's going on?... I thought there were burglars…" Makoto spoke and looked around seeing each of them turning a bright red.

"W-what?..." She asked scanning their faces and then she stopped on Yuki,

"K-Kino-san, you should go, um, back upstairs…" Yuki spoke and she looked over at Kyou to see that he indeed wasn't staring at her face but more like her legs.

"Nooooo…" She whined softly and looked down. She was standing in front of a room full of the opposite sex in a baby-t and green underwear that said Tuesday and that made it even worse because it was Friday.

"Oaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed and dove for one of the coats that had happened to stay on the coat wrack and wrapped it around her bottom half and dashed up the stairs, tears in her eyes from pure embarrassment.

She ran into her room and they heard the door slam and no one had yet said anything.

As soon as they heard her door slam they heard a hit pitched scream and the sound of her falling onto her bed.

Shigure cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, um… You can see that she's healed in less than half of the time that you expected…"

"She's cute!" Momiji shouted exuberantly as they all sweat dropped and Kyou knocked him over the head.

"Kyou is hurting me again!"

-:-

She didn't even bother putting her hair up as she walked out of the bedroom door, now absolutly sure that she was wearing all the clothing that she should be and made her way downstairs.

She slowly walked down the stairs to hear the room become quiet and everyone turn and look at her.

"Ah, I see your dressed no-" Shigure was cut off by her violently swatting her hand in the air.

"**You had better shut up, before I make you."** She hissed and he sighed and rolled his eyes.

She bit her bottom lip and blushed and then felt someone stand in front of her.

"Oooh! She's even prettier up close!" The blonde boy shouted and moved around her at hyper-speed but every time she turned to look at him he was gone.

"H-hey! Wait!" She shouted and he stopped to look up at her curiously.

"Yes?" He asked and she couldn't help but think of how adorable he was.

"Momiji, leave Kino-san alone." She looked up to see Hatori moving in her direction and the boy pouted.

"Ah! But Ha'ri! I want to talk to Makoto!" He cried and she looked at him surprisingly seeing that he knew her name. And then it dawned on her as she lightly hit the side of her fist into her palm.

"You're Sohma's too aren't you?!" She pointed accusingly at the two and Momiji smiled and looked back at Yuki, Kyou and Shigure.

"Makoto's stupid…" He laughed and she smiled as he turned around.

"So you…" She paused and got a smile on her face and her green eyes lit up.

"Which animals are you!?" She asked hopefully looking at Hatori, expecting him to tell her but he took her arm and checked her pulse and she sweatdropped.

"Aw! If Ha'ri won't tell you, I'll show you, Makoto!" She heard Momiji shout and then felt her self being knocked to the floor.

"Momiji." She heard Hatori growl above her and she opened her eyes to see a small cream colored rabbit with black tipped ears sitting in her lap.

Her eyes got big and she smiled grabbing the small rabbit and hugging him to her cheek.

"He's so kawaii!" She cooed and Kyou snorted as Momiji jumped out of her grasp and into her lap again.

"So you really are Tohru's friend!?" He shouted enthusiastically and Makoto nodded with a smile, already taking a liking to the boy.

"Yep! I can't wait to see her! She comes back today you know?" She smiled and he hopped around.

"I know! That's why I made Ha'ri let me come! And plus, Shii-chan said you were pretty!" He laughed as he watched her blush and then suddenly he was lifted off of her by Hatori.

"Shigure, please take care of him while I go and look at her wounds." Hatori said and helped stand her up which surprised her a bit seeing as she thought that he hated her.

She looked up at him in confusion and then heard Kyou speak to her.

"Hey, Makoto?" He asked and she looked over her shoulder to see him smirking maliciously.

"Can you tell me what day it is?" He asked and in a spilt second Hatori had grabbed her around her waist and was carrying her upstairs.

"Put me down! I said put me down, dammit!" She screamed and hit his back as Kyou laughed.

"It's not worth it." He spoke calmly as if her brutal hits to his shoulder blades did nothing.

"**Yes it is**! Why do you all insist of telling me that!?" She screeched and Kyou laughed.

"You little pervert! That just proves your true alterior motives, ass!" She screamed as he watched her flip him off while she was lifted out of sight.

"Hehehe, serves her-oaf!" He shouted as Yuki punched him so hard that he flew off the chair.

"You're such an immature asshole." He growled as he walked outside.

Momiji looked up at Shigure in his lap.

"Makoto seems to cause a lot of people to get angry, Shii-chan." He spoke and Shigure smiled.

"Well, she was always like that." He replied with a smirk.

-:-

She grumbled as he looked at her side in amazement.

"How was this even possible?" She heard him murmur and looked over at Luna and rolled her eyes.

"I've always healed quickly; it's no big deal… So am I alright now?... No precautions?" She asked trying to simmer down a bit, since she was feeling guilty for hitting him when he was only trying to help her.

She watched him sigh and stand up, his eyes closed.

"No, you're fine. No precautions." He spoke and she smiled enthusiastically.

"Good… Now I can go kick Orangey's ass!" She shouted and swung her legs over the bed and looked over to see him with a small smile on his face. She cocked an eyebrow and stood up.

"Hatori-san." She called softly as she sat on the bed watching him as he looked up.

"Thank you, for taking care of me and Luna as well… I can't thank you enough, because I don't know what I would have done if she would have been worse off. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know." She smiled kindly and he sighed and she noticed he gathered a more calm looking expression after she had spoken.

"You're welcome, Makoto-san." He spoke softly and walked out of the room leaving her to watch after him and sighed.

"What is it, Mako-chan?" Luna asked jumping in her lap.

"It's just that… Hatori-san, I feel like I should know him… do you think I grew up around him?" She asked softly not wanting to let anyone hear her talking to a cat.

"It could be… That would be something you would need to speak with Setsuna about." Luna spoke softly.

He stood at the door listening intently and his eyes widened, knowing that there were no other people in the room but her and the cat. And at the mention of the name Setsuna, his eyes widened and then narrowed as he stealthily walked down the stairs.

"_She is proving to be more and more interesting with each time I see her."_ He thought as he walked down the stairs.

-:-

Makoto sat on the couch her hands shaking as she played with the ends of her hair. God… She couldn't even remember the last time she was this nervous.

"Aw! Makoto, you look so cute when you're nervous!" She heard Momiji shout next to her and she smiled looking at the boy. He was a lot like Usagi and Chibi-Usa, always so happy.

"Thank you Momiji-kun." She smiled and watched him beam with happiness.

"Kino-san…" She heard Yuki call from across the room and looked up see him smiling as he looked back from the window.

"She's here." He spoke and she shot off the couch her heart racing and her body shaking.

"Don't worry, Makoto-kun. Just calm down, Tohru-kun will be delight-… You're crying already!?" Shigure shouted and she looked up sniffing back tears.

"Wh-what if s-she hates me?" She cried and Shigure placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Makoto-kun… Tohru-kun couldn't hate the devil himself. Now go and greet your friend." He smiled down at her, her green eyes wavering and eyelashes thick with tears.

"H-hai…" She stuttered and watched as Yuki opened the door and her eyes filled with tears once more upon seeing the brown haired girl with her happy green eyes glide through the door.

"Sohma-kun! It's good to see you!" She smiled happily at him and felt someone tug on the bottom of her shirt and looked to see Momiji.

"Momiji-kun! You're here too!?" She shouted happily as he smiled.

"Yes, yes! Look, Tohru! Look, someone's here to see you!" He shouted and she gave him a confused look and he grabbed her face and turned her to face Makoto.

Her small bags immediately slipped from her grip and her body shook, tears welling in her eyes.

"M-M-Mako-chan?" She asked softly and Makoto bit her bottom lip and tried to smile as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Hello, Tohru-chan…" She cried and watched as Tohru ran past them and to her.

"Mako-chan!" She cried and hugged her taller friend as they both cried.

"Tohru, I-I'm so sorry! Kyoko-chan! If I would have known I- I never wanted you to go through what I did!" She cried and Tohru looked up at her smiling.

"Mako-chan… That's not your fault. And I'm just happy to know that- that you're alright!" Tohru cried and Makoto looked down at her, even though she was telling her that, it still hurt like a deep wound to think that she wasn't there for her.

"Please, forgive me Tohru? We promised that we'd be there for each other and I wasn't there when you needed me but you were there when my parents died. I can't help but feel if I would have gone to live with you, that I could have prevented it from happening…" Makoto cried and Tohru stepped back so that she could see her and smiled.

"But, Mako-chan, I was never mad at you in the first place, so how could I forgive you? You need to understand that you don't always have to try and protect everyone, because we want to protect you too." She smiled and Makoto felt more tears well in her eyes. Hotaru had told her the same thing, but she couldn't help but want to keep the people she cared about at her side. She felt Tohru hug her once more.

"I could never be angry with you Mako." She smiled and Makoto nodded as she wiped her own tears away.

"I-It's so beautiful!" They turned to see Shigure shout and dab his tears away.

"Shut up, Shigure." Hatori growled at the sobbing man.

"But, Haa-san, you can not deny how touching it is to see two long lost friends become united once more! Ten years passing an-"

"Oh shut up already!" Kyou shouted and kicked him.

"I am so happy for you two!" Momiji shouted and draped his arms over the girls shoulders as they looked down at him and smiled, wiping their tears away.

-:-

"Mako-chan, isn't it ironic that you used to live here and are back again?" Tohru asked with a smile as they sat on her bed and Luna was in her lap.

"I know that's all that I could think about when I first got here was that all of these memories were my childhood and I'm even staying my old room." She smiled as she leaned back on the headboard.

"Do you remember when we stayed up all night watched those scary movies even though your mom told us not to?" Makoto asked and Tohru giggled.

"Yeah, and then we had to go to school the next day and we didn't get any sleep because we were too scared!" She replied and they both laughed.

"The Sohma's are very nice… I'm glad you're staying with them other than your family… They talk so highly of you, Tohru-chan." Makoto smiled and she blushed.

"Yes, I'm so lucky to have had the chance to live with them all… And I'm lucky to have such a good friend like you Mako-chan." Tohru smiled and Makoto smiled back thinking of all the memories that they shared when they were younger.

"Still sisters?" Makoto asked holding out her pinky and Tohru's face lit up and she smiled and interlocked her pinky with hers.

"You still remember!... And of course!" She smiled and Makoto laid down on the bed and watched her scratch under Luna's chin.

"My friends are really excited to meet you, Tohru-chan! Although only three of them can come since the others won't be back from America until the day after tomorrow, but maybe you can come to Rei-chan's birthday and meet them there!" Makoto smiled and watched her smiled excitedly.

"Oh, Mako-chan I can't wait to meet them!" She squealed happily as Makoto laughed.

"I've missed you so much Tohru-chan." She smiled and Tohru reflected her grin.

"I have as well, Mako-chan." Needless to say the night was filled with the loud laughs of the reminiscing teenagers that happened to keep everyone in the house up into the wee hours of the morning.

-:-

Makoto and Tohru swiveled around each other in the kitchen while trying to make breakfast and talked as they did so.

"And do you remember when we went to that festival and we tried to win that one game-" Makoto cut her off as she finished what she was going to say,

"And we won and the carnie said we didn't and our moms beat the snot out of him!?" Makoto asked as she laughed and Tohru stopped for a minute and thought.

"You, know… It was kind of mean of them to do that though, I should have asked them to stop." Tohru thought aloud as Makoto sweatdropped and moved the food to the table.

"Tohru-chan, you're too nice for your own good." Makoto spoke hopelessly as the other brunette laughed.

"I suppose." She replied and Kyou slammed his head into the table.

"They won't stop doing that!" He shouted and the two girls turned around to look at him curiously.

"Leave them be Kyou-kun, they haven't seen each other for ten years, let them catch up." Shigure replied as he sipped his coffee.

"They caught up with each other until three in the morning!" He yelled and Tohru walked over with a sad expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kyou-kun; we didn't mean to keep you up." She spoke with a smile and Makoto shook her head.

"I don't really care." She replied sticking her tongue out at the feline container as she sat a plate of food on the floor for Luna.

"Kino, you're asking for it!" He cried and she rolled her eyes.

"If I'm asking for anything it's for you to shut your mouth and eat!" She snorted as she took a seat next to the half awake Yuki.

"You two don't get along?" Tohru asked helplessly and Makoto and Kyou looked at her with positive expression.

"Could you really expect me to get along with a person whose ego is bigger than his fat head!?" Makoto retorted staring at the orange haired boy as he snarled.

"And why would I get along with some weak little girl who seems to think that she can do whatever she pleases without having any consequences!?" He growled as she fumed.

"There you go again with the weak thing again, Orangey. Would you like me to repeat the process of last week, because here's my fist and there's the door… Or maybe I should use another candle to knock you out?" She laughed and just as he was about to stand up Yuki grasped his arm.

"Do not make me fight you over something so idiotic." Yuki growled and Makoto realized what she had done once again.

"Okay, stop I'm sorry!" She yelled Kyou looked at her not believing that she had just admitted defeat.

She looked the other way, blushing.

"Just don't fight for Tohru-chan… She worked hard on this food." She grumbled angrily.

"Aw, Mako-chan don't be so modest! You helped as well!" She smiled cheerfully and Makoto couldn't help but smile.

"Shigure-san, I can't thank you enough for letting my friends come and visit Tohru-chan. You have no idea how happy it makes me that I can know all of them will finally meet." She smiled thinking of Rei, Hotaru and Setsuna who were to be arriving shortly.

"Oh, it's quiet alright Makoto-kun. I'm sure I won't mind meeting your friends as well… Are they in High School?" He smiled happily and Yuki punched him.

"You're such a pervert." He grumbled and they heard a knock on the door Makoto shot up yelling behind her as she ran 'I'll get it!'.

She quickly opened the door with a huge smile and as soon as she saw who was behind it her smile dropped into a disappointed frown.

"Oh… Hello Hatori-san… What are you doing here?" She asked and before the man could reply she felt someone lightly lift her chin up and begin examining her features.

"Oh my, so this is little Makoto, Tori-san?" The man asked and he was very close to Makoto's face as she watched his yellow eyes look her over. She couldn't help but blush at the handsome man. He was so beautiful with his long silver hair and yellow eyes…

"Uh… Um…" She tried to speak and watched him smile down at her.

"Look at how beautiful she turned out… Looks just like Natsu even down to her pretty pink lips." He smiled and placed his finger over her lips and she thought she was going to faint and suddenly the man was thrown off of her, or more like punched off of her.

"Get away from her you bastard." She gulped and looked over to see Yuki snarling and she placed a hand over her mouth in shock.

"W-wait, Yuki-san!... He wasn't doing anything… I think." She replied and Hatori placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him curiously.

"Leave them be. They'll be fine." She watched as everyone else rushed into the room.

"**What is he doing here?"** Yuki growled as he pointed to the silver haired man and Shigure's eyes lit up.

"Aaya! It's been too long!" He shouted happily and Makoto sweatdropped as she watched them smile and walk over to each other like nothing had happened.

"And little brother, I heard Tori-san saying that he was coming to see Gure-san once more and I decided I wanted to see this lovely Makoto that many keep speaking of." He spoke and smiled over at Makoto who looked flabbergasted.

She looked up at Hatori, who was still behind her, curiously.

"Did he say little brother?" She asked and he nodded his head and she looked back between Yuki and Ayame.

"Wow…" She breathed.

-:-

"So, Makoto-kun who are these friends that are coming?" Ayame asked her as she smiled while they all sat around in the living room, Yuki finally calming down his anger.

"Well I've known them for almost five years now and they're-" Makoto then heard a knock at the door and was there in only about two seconds and opened the door with a smile.

"Hey-"

"Mako-chan, run!" She heard Hotaru scream and she looked to see Setsuna stomping towards her angrily and she quickly backed up in the door.

"Did I **not** tell you to call me if you even **sensed** anything strange, Kino Makoto!?" She screamed walking through the door as Makoto backed up almost tripping over the drop off.

"Y-yes, but I-" Setsuna cut her off and walked closer.

"So why did you fail to tell me that you were staying with SOHMAS!?" She screamed and Makoto was shaking fear. Never in her life had she seen Setsuna this angry.

Rei walked through the door sighing angrily.

"Setsuna, leave her be! I still don't understand why you're not telling us why you're angry!" Rei growled and Hotaru looked at the people staring at them like they were crazy.

Setsuna grabbed Makoto by her shoulders and brought her close.

"Are they here!? Are they home!? Is-" Setsuna was cut off.

"Setsuna!? Meioh Setsuna!?" Both Shigure and Ayame shouted enthusiastically as they jumped up and she gripped Makoto's shoulder as she turned to look at the two men.

"It is! It's Suna, Gure-san!" Ayame shouted happily and Setsuna growled as he was next to her in a second playing with her hair.

"Oh, look at what a beauty you've turned into! And your beautiful long green hair! I'm still offering you that job as my seamstress, I could use you anytime." Ayame spoke seductively as she turned around and smacked him away.

"Do not touch me, Ayame!" She shouted angrily.

"Suna-chan, it has been much too long. How I've longed to see you." Shigure spoke happily as he walked over to the woman and she blushed feeling as if she were being trapped in a corner and then glared and stomped over to him.

"Do not talk to me, Shigure! You think I will so easily welcome you all!? And here you're housing Makoto and act as though you have no idea what you're doing!" Setsuna screamed as she poked her index finger hard into his chest.

Hotaru sweatdropped and happily looked over at Makoto not really caring whatever problem Suna had with these people.

"Mako-chan! Have you found your old senpai!?" Hotaru asked and hugged the taller girl as she blushed.

"No, Taru… But what's wrong with Setsuna?... I've never seen her that angry before." Makoto spoke as Hotaru looked at the green haired Senshi swatting the two men away from her like bugs. Suddenly Rei was standing next to her with her arms crossed under her chest as she glared at the grass haired Senshi.

"Tsk, who the Hell knows. She was acting like this as soon as you gave us the address of the house. I think she's stopped time one too many times if you get my drift." Rei spoke as Hotaru laughed and looked over at the other people in the house and smiled.

She quickly hopped through the battlefield of Setsuna fighting angrily with the two men and over to the teenagers who looked completely shocked.

"Hi! You must be the people Mako-chan was telling us about! I'm Tomoe Hotaru!" She spoke in her normal soft voice and smiled happily as she looked at the three of them and Tohru jumped up happily.

"Hello, Tomoe-san. I'm Honda Tohru! It's so nice to meet you! Mako-chan talks about you so much!" She smiled happily and as did Hotaru.

"It's nice to meet you Tomoe-san, I'm Sohma Yuki." Yuki smiled kindly at Hotaru, but he couldn't help but feel as if there was something drawing him to her.

"And then you must be Sohma Kyou." Hotaru smiled kindly down at the orange haired boy as he cast her a glance and then looked the other way.

She jumped when she watched Yuki punch him so hard that he fell off the couch and on to the floor.

"She's being nice to you, which isn't common for someone like you. I'd think you'd be overjoyed for someone to do that." Yuki growled and he jumped up.

"You damn rat I'll kill you!" Kyou shouted and Tohru began to spaz.

"W-wait! Kyou-kun! Stop!" She shouted.

Hatori sat on the chair and gripped the arms in anger, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Ayame! Shigure! Shut up and stop bugging Meioh-san! Everyone, sit down and act like human beings!" He yelled and immediately Ayame and Shigure were in a seat acting like two children who were put in the corner by their parents.

Setsuna's head snapped over in his direction and her mouth fell open.

"Hatori-kun…" She whispered not having seen that he was here and looked over at Rei to see her eyes had grown wide and then she looked down at the ground.

"_Shit… Rei's been having visions… This isn't good at all." _Setsuna thought as she ushered the onyx haired miko and curly haired brunette over to the couch.

She sat down and looked at Hatori and watched as he ripped his gaze away from Rei to her.

"Hatori-kun." She spoke politely and Ayame and Shigure pouted at how friendly she was towards him.

"Setsuna-san, it's been quiet a while since we've all be here like this hasn't it?" He asked and she looked down and nodded.

Makoto and Kyou were grumbling because they were having to be squished together on the couch and Makoto looked over at Rei as she blushed like crazy at the closeness of the orange haired boy.

Then she caught sight of Rei's expression and her eyes widened.

Rei looked absolutly petrified. She gave a concerned look at the miko who must have felt Makoto's eyes on her and looked over at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"How have you been Mako-chan?" She asked quietly not wanting to interrupt Setsuna's now calm conversation.

"I've been fine, but what's wrong with you?" She asked quietly and Kyou acted inconspicuous as if he wasn't really listening to the two girls.

Rei paused and let her eyes travel over to the black haired man that Setsuna was speaking with and let her eyes travel to the floor in sadness.

"That man… I've seen him in my visions… I feel-" Makoto cut her off with a small smirk and finished her sentence.

"Connected to him?" She asked softly and watched Rei look up at her, her amethyst eyes wide in shock as Makoto smiled softly.

"Yeah… I feel it too." She spoke softly and Rei's expression hardened and Makoto knew that she was going deep into thought now.

Hotaru watched with interest at her two friends as she sat next to the boy called Yuki wondering what it was that the two were speaking about. She let her eyes journey to the yellow eyed man and then to the ground.

She bit her lip and looked up at Yuki with a small smile.

"Yuki-san?" She asked softly not wanting to disturb the conversation between her older Senshi and the man named Hatori. She watched him look down at her his violet eyes connecting with hers.

"Yes, Tomoe-san?" He asked and watched her eyes flash over to Ayame and then back to him.

"Who is that man that Setsuna was shouting at… The one with the long silver hair?" She asked and he looked confused by the question and then watched as his expression hardened.

"My older brother, Sohma Ayame… Why do you ask Tomoe-san?" He asked and watched her eyes flash over to his brother once more.

"Because I think I've met him before." She spoke softly and he gave her a curious look. She looked down at the ground her purple tinted bangs falling in front of her eyes as she thought of her dreams. She had been having dreams about a boy about her age with white and black hair, which she found completely strange, but he wasn't the only one. She kept dreaming of the man Ayame and also… She looked up at Yuki with an emotionless expression.

"_I have also been dreaming about Yuki-san… I've never had this ability to see things like this before. It was always Rei-chan and I know this is no coincidence… Something is wrong and I think it has to do with why Setsuna didn't want to come here." _Hotaru thought looking over at the green haired Senshi.

"Well… Suna-chan, why don't you introduce us to your friends?" Ayame grumbled wishing that Hatori and she would stop talking and pay attention to him and he watched her expression turned shocked and she twisted around to look at the girls.

"Oh… Right." She spoke softly and Rei snorted.

"No, no Sets you keep talking, it's not like we didn't come here to see Mako-chan and Tohru-san, whom I have yet to even meet." Rei growled and before Setsuna could reply she watched as the tiny brunette jumped up happily.

"Hello, Rei-san! I am Honda Tohru! It's wonderful to meet you!" She shouted happily and Rei couldn't help but smile at her exuberance.

"It's nice to meet you Tohru-san. I'm Hino Rei." She smiled dashingly and Tohru couldn't help but blush.

"_Mako-chan and her friends look as if they should be Sohma's; they're all so beautiful!"_ She thought and looked over to see Hatori staring at Rei with a shocked expression.

"Hatori-san is something wrong?" Tohru asked and looked to see Ayame and Shigure staring at the miko as well. Setsuna lowered her gaze in defeat and pointed over to Hotaru.

"And please don't look as shocked once again because this is indeed, Tomoe Hotaru." She spoke and Ayame's head snapped to the smaller girl so fast that Setsuna swore she heard it crack.

"They are all friends?" Shigure asked in a serious tone looking at Setsuna as she sighed unhappily.

Rei growled and stood up angrily.

"Okay Setsuna! What the Hell is going on because I'm sick of this inconspicuous shit where you don't think we notice! Just come out and say whatever the reason is you didn't want Makoto to stay here or want us to come!" Rei shouted fire in her eyes because each time she had a vision of that Hatori man, she was more and more confused about whatever it was that it was trying to tell her.

She watched Setsuna look back at the three older men.

"Setsuna!" Rei shouted angrily as Makoto stood up as well as Hotaru.

"I agree with Rei-chan, Setsuna… You've been acting strange ever since you found out Mako-chan wanted to come and visit Tohru-san…" Hotaru spoke seriously and Setsuna stood up looking at the three of them.

"You three know that this is not the place to be discussing such things." She spoke and Makoto gritted her teeth.

"Setsuna, we know something's wrong and obviously whatever it is, those three know as well!" Makoto shouted pointing at the three men as she walked forward.

"It has something to do with this 'promise' about my father doesn't it?" She asked and watched as Setsuna turned around to face Shigure whose eyes grew wide.

"**You. Told. Her?"** She growled and watched Ayame glance over at Shigure and then to Hatori.

She sighed loudly and then placed her head in her hand as she turned around to face the three girls giving them a sullen look.

"I'm sorry… But neither of us are permitted to tell you anything… You must figure out what's going on, on your own." She spoke softly and walked towards the kitchen acting as if she had been here more than they all realized.

"But Setsuna-" Makoto's shout was cut off by her raising her hand and looking over her shoulder angrily.

"Do not tempt me right now, Makoto… I'm sorry." She spoke and walked into the kitchen, the three girls left to stare at each other in confusion.

"Shigure! You must know some-" Makoto was cut off by him closing his eyes and bowing his head shaking it back and forth.

Kyou, Yuki and Tohru watched in wonder what possible could be going on.

"Sohma-kun?... Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Tohru asked quietly looking over at the three girls grave looks.

"No, Honda-san neither I nor Kyou do." He spoke forcefully looking over at Ayame in anger knowing that he had the answer.

He watched as Ayame closed his eyes and stood up following Setsuna as did Shigure and Hatori.

"Suna-chan, wait can't we-" Ayame was cut off by a cat rushing to Setsuna.

"Oh, Setsuna I'm so glad to see you! Usagi-chan just called on Mako's communicator and told me that they're on their way home and everything went fine." Luna spoke and Setsuna leaned over gripping the sink in defeat.

"Setsuna, are you alright?" Luna asked walking over to her.

"Lllluuunnnnaaaa." The green haired woman growled and Luna's eyes grew wide.

"Ahhh!! Gure-san! Did you see that! Makoto-kun's cat just spoke!" Ayame shouted and he and Shigure hugged jumping up and down.

"I heard it too Aaya! I knew there was something strange about that cat!" Shigure shouted and Kyou's ear twitched and he took off the couch and pushed himself into the kitchen seeing Luna looking afraid.

"Um… I mean… Meow?" She asked and Kyou's eyes grew wide.

"I knew it!" He screamed pointing at the cat.

"I knew you could talk! I heard you talking to Makoto!" He shouted and the three girls looked at one another and ran into the kitchen as well.

"Luna!" Hotaru shouted and looked at the cat as she sweatdropped.

"Everything was going according to plan, Luna… I told you not to talk to me when I came here incase this would happen and we'd have to explain!" Setsuna whined and Luna looked at her apologetically.

"Setsuna, I'm so sorry… it's just that I wanted to let you know that Usagi and the others made it back safely." Luna replied and felt the wind blow past her.

"It's alright Suna-chan, you can cry on my shoulder for old time sake." Ayame beckoned holding his arms open for her to hug him.

"You're an idiot, Ayame." She growled seeing that she was going to openly hug her.

"Ah, but don't worry, Suna-chan. We have a talking cat as well but he's not as polite." Shigure replied and Makoto was holding her head trying to remember which secretes she was supposed to keep.

"Hey!? I heard that you idiot!" Kyou shouted and Rei and Hotaru snapped their heads over in his direction, shocked expressions on their faces.

"You're a talking cat!?" Hotaru shouted and Rei sweatdropped and walked over to him with scrutinizing eyes.

Makoto had fallen to the floor while holding her head.

"Too many secrets to keep…" She moaned.

"You are a damned idiot!" Yuki screamed and punched him and Rei stepped between them holding her hand out in Yuki's direction telling him to stop.

She looked down at Kyou and then looked over to Makoto and narrowed her eyes.

"Setsuna, tell us now what the Hell's going on." Rei growled as she looked over at her still trying to get Ayame and Shigure away from her.

Setsuna looked around the room at everyone and sighed in defeat.

"I think we should go and discuss this all in the living room." She spoke in a small voice and Hatori looked at her and she shook her head.

"Here let us escort you there, Suna-chan!" Ayame and Shigure shouted happily grabbing her hands and she closed her eyes and ripped her hands away and walked into the spacious room.

-:-

Wow, that one was even longer! And because I still want more Rei, Taru and Suna and I have yet to expel all that I need to get out, I'll once again be updating this until chapter four… And then I swear that I'll do chapter three of The Ties of Fate! Scouts honor! Hehe! Man I hoped you guys liked this chapter; it was more upbeat and comical unlike the last chapter which was morbidly depressing if you ask me. And yes this may all seem so confusing as of what Setsuna is talking about to the guys but that is what our main focus is of finding out throughout the story. And I know I haven't introduced Haru into the story yet (sob, sob) but he might be in the next chapter… Okay, for sure he'll be in chapter four. Hehehe! Please review and tell me what you all think.

Next chapter- with five females in the house, insanity ensues even if it is only for a night! The next day is what!? Rei's birthday!?... At the beach? Add ten Senshi a pinch of Sohma hotties, the possibilities? Endless. XD

Please review! The more I receive, the faster you read!... Hehe, it rhymes too!

-Katness


	3. Birthdays Are Full of Surprises

Once again you guys have surprised me with how many reviews I received! In all honesty I thought this story would bomb, but then again I thought The Ties of Fate would bomb as well and that's the most popular story I've ever written… But that's beside by point, so again thank you guys I do really appreciate it! And this chapter does have quiet a bit of Rei in it, but it's her birthday! How could I not have a lot of her when it's her b-day, lol.

I want to dedicate this chapter to Mio Fah because no matter what, she always makes me feel like this is worth my time and if one person is enjoying this and thinks I should continue this, then that's good enough for me to keep writing! Thank you Salem!

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference.  
(Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken)

I really liked that because it goes well with how the girls are feeling when love comes into the picture and once you begin to see the plot thicken and begin to understand it, this little excerpt will make all the more sense to you as it does to me.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Until We Meet Again

Chapter Three- Birthdays Are Full Of Surprises

As everyone settled around the now crowded living room, Setsuna sighed and looked around at all of them.

"Alright, we'll start with answering Rei and Hotaru's questions seeing as Makoto already knows the Sohma secret." Setsuna spoke and Hotaru's and Rei's heads snapped in Makoto's direction as she gave them a pleading look and put her hands up in defense.

"Hey, they saved my life I was at least going to take their secret to the grave." She defended and watched them slowly turn back towards Setsuna.

She sighed and looked over at Hatori for help and he growled seeing that this would only cause problems for them in the future but spoke anyway.

"One of you, go hug Setsuna-san." He commanded and Shigure and Ayame both shot up like to dogs sent to attack a stranger.

"Hatori!" Setsuna screamed and was glomped by the two men and fell to the floor her face bright red. Rei and Hotaru leaned forward as did Makoto because she wanted to know which animal Ayame was.

"Do you have no shame!? You don't deserve to call yourselves men!" Kyou screamed angrily, not liking that fact that their secret was being shelled out to complete strangers and the three older men thought nothing of it.

"Oh! He's the snake!" Makoto shouted exuberantly and Hotaru fell backwards.

"W-what!? A-a snake?!" Both she and Rei screamed and Rei tried to stand up and back away not wishing to be touched by a snake but she ended up tripping over the table and fell backwards.

"Ah!" She shouted and felt two strong arms catch her and a well built body pressed against her back and then nothing.

"Tori-san!" The snake shouted and Hotaru screamed and jumped up trying to step on him.

"Aaya! Haa-san!" Shigure barked (hehe, pun) as Hotaru continued to try and step on the snake looking as if she was trying to do some foreign countries ritual dance around a fire.

"Squish him! Squish him!" Both Setsuna, Yuki and Kyou all yelled.

"No! Hotaru stop! He's just-" Makoto leaned over to pick him up and the snake hastily traveled up her arm and into her shirt, her face turning a pale blue and she stood up screaming and began to jump around.

"Gethimout!Gethimout!**Gethimout**!" She screamed as she stuffed her hands in her clothing and finally grasped the small animal, her face flushed and Yuki grabbed him out of her hands, his face in a twisted snarl.

Rei rubbed her sore head and looked around and saw Hatori's clothes on the ground and on top of them was a small seahorse.

"No… No way in Hell!" She screamed and looked around to no longer see Hatori.

"A seahorse!? Water!... What water!? Salt!? Or tap!? Is he going to die!?" She cried picked the small animal up and Tohru rushed to her and pulled her to the kitchen.

"I am going to kill you." Yuki seethed and Makoto's body shook with embarrassment.

"What was I supposed to do!? She was going to stomp me to death!" Ayame hissed (hehee another pun)

"There you go Hatori-san." They heard Tohru say and then a loud poof.

"Ahhh!" They heard Rei scream and her as well as Tohru stumbled out of the kitchen, their faces blood red.

"Th-there is a naked man stuck in your kitchen sink… I don't think he can get out without help…" Rei spoke and walked over to the couch and sat next to Kyou and slapped her head into her hands.

She felt a paw placed on her knee and looked up to see Shigure looking at her with a sympathetic look.

"Do not feel embarrassed Hino-san, at least you didn't faint with a bloody nose." He spoke and Makoto stood up and kicked him and just as she did he transformed back into a human down on all fours with his hand on Rei's knee.

The miko looked at him and pulled her fist back, punching him as she screamed and he then flew into Hotaru, now was practically on top of her.

She just sat there looking up at him.

"Hello Tomoe-san, how are-"

"What the Hell are you doing!?" Yuki screamed dropping the snake and pulling him off of the scared Hotaru as she shook with fear as Yuki looked down at her unmoving body.

"Hotaru-san?" He asked curiously and she looked up at him gulping.

"What is going on!?" She screamed as she sat up and looked to find the snake slithering towards the kitchen upon hearing the grunts of Hatori trying to get out of the kitchen sink.

"I'm coming Tori-san!" He screamed and then transformed and Setsuna quickly turned around to face the remaining people in the room which were, Yuki, Kyou, Tohru, Rei, Hotaru and Makoto.

Rei stood up her face still flushed and she closed her eyes and pursed her lips tightly.

"If we're going to tell them, what I think we're going to tell them, then why didn't we go first!?" Rei shouted angrily at Setsuna who picked herself up off the floor and back into her chair.

"Because you and Hotaru were anxious, I was doing you a favor." She growled and Rei snorted.

"A favor!? In the course I about two minutes I saw three men bare ass naked!" She screamed angrily and took her seat next to Makoto who was still brooding over the fact that she was feeling so violated.

"And look at poor Hota-chan!" Rei screamed pointing at the girl as she snapped her head in her direction angrily.

"I am f-fine Rei." She hissed and shakily made her way back over to her seat as well.

Rei then thought of something and looked over at Yuki and Kyou in interest.

"So I'm guessing you're the cat after your little outburst…." She spoke pointing at Kyou and her eyes traveled over to Yuki.

"So what would you be?" Rei asked and Makoto snickered.

"It's pretty comical and ironic really…" She giggled and watched Kyou glare at her and she smirked.

"Yuki-san's the rat… Or mouse… I'm not really sure which it is." She smirked and then that jogged her memory of a certain person and she began looking around frantically.

"W-wait! Where's Luna!?" She shouted and Setsuna pointed to the frozen cat sitting next to her and they all sweatdropped.

Suddenly they heard voices and turned to see three fully clothed men walking in Hatori growling in anger as he sat down followed by Aaya and Shigure.

"Now, back to what I planned on talking about…" He growled and looked at the two girls; Rei who was blushing just at the sight of him now, looked away.

"As you can see, when we are hugged by the opposite sex, we change into the animals of the Zodiac." He spoke and began to tell them about the history of the Zodiac and how it revolved around the curse.

Rei looked down at the floor, deep in thought and then looked up speaking.

"So, Setsuna you don't seem fazed by this and it seems as if you already_ knew _about this beforehand… How? How did you find out and how do you know these people?" She asked and she closed her eyes growling.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't ask that…" She spoke and saw that Ayame and Shigure were smiling over at her.

"I grew up with the three of them and went through school with them all the way through High School even… After seeing them so much, accidents happened and I found out, but they knew that I was trustworthy, so they left me to carry the secret." She spoke and Kyou finally spoke up.

"Okay, so we told you about us, now tell us what the Hell's up with you all and your talking cat!" Kyou commanded and Makoto looked to Setsuna sighed.

"You can tell them about that Setsuna, it's much too long to maul over." Rei spoke in an uninterested tone.

"Are you sure it's safe to tell so many people, Setsuna-chan?" Hotaru asked and Setsuna smiled kindly.

"Well, they did tell us their secret and I've kept theirs over the years so I don't see why they wouldn't try just as hard to keep ours." She replied and Tohru looked over at Makoto wondering what this secret was because she was almost positive she didn't know it.

"Are you all familiar with the Legend of the Sailor Senshi and the fall of the Moon Kingdom?" She asked and watched as Tohru stood up enthusiastically smiling.

"Oh! I know it! My mother used to tell it to me! It's about the Princess of the Moon Kingdom falling in love with the Prince of Earth but their love was frowned upon and forbidden but it didn't stop the two from falling in love and wanting to be married. But one night, the Moon Kingdom was attacked by an evil witch and destroyed the Moon Kingdom as well as Sailor Moon's loyal Sailor Senshi. And princess Serenity's mother Selenity died saving her daughter, her lover, and friends and sending them to Earth to live out their lives and be reborn to help protect the people of Earth! It's such a beautiful love story! And it's even rumored that they live in Tokyo and fight off evil monsters there!" She shouted passionately and Makoto couldn't help but shake her head and laugh at her friend.

"Very good Tohru-san… And so that leaves us here. Girls." She commanded as though they understood and looked at them and they looked at her questioningly.

"W-what?" Makoto asked unsure of what she wanted her to do.

"Show them." She commanded.

And they all stood up blushing and glaring at her.

"No way, Setsuna!" Hotaru shouted.

"Why don't you just tell them!?" Rei screamed angrily.

"We are half naked! I'm not letting them watch!" Makoto added and Shigure and Ayame immediately sat up upon hearing the words naked.

"Do you know where she's going with this, Gure-san?" Ayame leaned over and asked curiously and Shigure shook his head.

"I have no idea…" He replied.

"Fine." The Senshi of Time growled and stood up and pointed at herself and then the girls.

"I am Sailor Pluto, Guardian of The Time gates. Hotaru is Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Destruction. Rei is Sailor Mars, the Senshi of Fire. And lastly Makoto is Sailor Jupiter, Senshi of Lightning." She spoke and for a few seconds no one spoke and then Tohru shot up out of her chair.

"No way!? A-and so that means that she-" She shouted pointing to Luna who had remained quiet and looked up.

"She is Luna!? Sailor Moon's guardian!?" She shouted enthusiastically and Setsuna nodded and she placed her hand over her mouth.

"Sounds like a load of shit to me." Kyou grumbled and Setsuna sighed and looked at them.

"See, they don't believe us, girls. So which one of you will be the one to transform?" She asked and they turned and looked at each other trying to figure out which would become the mutinous one first. They then gathered devious grins on their faces and turned to Setsuna and sat down.

"We, Setsuna-chan…" Hotaru started and Rei finished.

"Think that you…"

"Should show them, because we could care less if they believe us or not." Makoto finished as they smirked and crossed their arms under their chests accusingly.

Setsuna's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh! Oh! We agree!" Ayame shouted holding up his hand as she turned around fuming.

"You don't even know what you're voting for!" She growled and the two perverted men shrugged.

"Well, Makoto-kun said something about being half naked; we were sold after that point." Shigure replied as Ayame nodded.

"Yes, yes, Setsuna show them." Rei taunted and the Senshi stood up and face red as she reached in her pocket and pulled out her transformation wand, holding it in the air as she glared at the three girls who were giving her grins of satisfaction.

"Pluto, star power make-up." She growled and within a few flashes of purple and darker colors she stood before them, Kyou's mouth dropped open in amazement that they weren't lying and Ayame and Shigure twitching on the ground and foaming at the mouth as if they were having a seizure.

"That good enough for you?" She growled to the orange haired boy who quickly shut his mouth and looked the other way.

Tohru stood up and clapped her hands enthusiastically.

"Wonderful, Setsuna-san!" She cried and the others sweatdropped.

Suddenly she felt someone grab her feet and looked down to see Ayame and Shigure hugging her legs and caressing them.

"Setsuna, how is it that you can make yourself look so-"

"Get off of me!" She screamed and beat them both over the head with her Time Staff.

"Setsuna, were you always this person?" She looked up to see Hatori speak and she nodded her head.

"When the Sailor Senshi are reborn, their crystals are always inhabiting their body from the minute they're born." She replied and they turned their heads upon hearing Tohru gasp and she walked over to Makoto and placed her hand over her mouth.

"Wait, so Mako-chan… You're the crowned Princess of Jupiter!?" She screamed and Kyou and Yuki looked over at the curly haired brunette, obviously they weren't that well informed on the Legend of the Senshi.

"Oh my!... What should I call you!?... Mako-hime?... Makoto-hime?... Kino-hime?... Ma-" Makoto slapped her hand over her mouth and sweatdropped.

"I'm still just Mako-chan, Tohru… This is why I didn't want to tell you, for God's sake, I grew up without parents, Rei's a shrine miko, and Taru's a daughter of a scientist… We're normal people, and were brought up as normal people. Okay well maybe being the daughter of a scientist isn't normal, but it's more normal than being a 'Princess'. I will always only be Kino Makoto." She replied with a smile and Tohru nodded giving her a smile as well and then hugged her taller friend.

"I know! But it's so cool that you're Sailor Jupiter!" She cried and Makoto rolled her eyes.

Setsuna smiled over at them and then regained her stern expression and detransformed.

"Okay, now how about you all go get acquainted properly, while we catch up?" Setsuna asked and watched as her three Senshi gave her a strange look, but Tohru happily ushered everyone including the other Jyuunishi out of the room leaving only Setsuna and her three grade school 'friends'.

"I know what you're going to say Hatori, but I can't sit here and lie to them anymore…" Setsuna spoke before any of them could.

"Rei sees visions you know?" She asked looking up to see all of their eyes widen.

"Yes, and she normally tells everyone seeing as they may pose a threat to Usagi, our Princess… But she feels insecure about what she is seeing and the thing is she has yet to realize that they are not the future, but their pasts."

"As soon as I arrived here, I could feel something wasn't right, there is a strange power in this city and I fear what it may do and what its motives are… I know we, including a few selective others, were sworn to never tell them anything of their pasts and destinies, but…." She paused and lowered her crimson eyes to the ground sadly.

"But I can't go on lying to them any longer… Seeing them in so much pain and I can't help them. They're all like my daughters, those three are… It's hard not to think that way when I watched them grow. And now to see all three without parents, or siblings to speak to, it hurts even more." She spoke and Ayame stood up his fists clenched.

"We know the Kino's have died, but what about Hino's and Hotaru's father and mother!?" He shouted and she smiled expecting him to react this way once she told them.

"Not long after they were all moved to Juuban, Rei's mother passed and when she did, her father left her in the care of her grandfather who owns the Hikawa Shrine… As far as I know, the only time she sees him is on her birthday and even that sometimes never occurs." She spoke softly and kept her eyes on Hatori to see his face twisted into a snarl.

"But for, Hotaru it's also just as bad. When her Senshi powers awoke we believed her to be a threat to the civilization of Earth and…" She stopped and had to look away in shame.

"And the rest of the Outer Senshi and I almost killed her because of the prophecy she was to bring and destroy Earth, but the princess stopped us and Hotaru was reborn as a normal girl, to live out a normal life." She spoke sadly.

"But what about her father?" Ayame pressed as he became irritated and anxious.

"Tomoe-san… After she and her mother were killed in an explosion, Tomoe-san sold his soul to bring a cyborg Hotaru back to life, seeing as he had nothing without her. And in the end when Hotaru was reborn, myself and the other Outer Senshi took it upon ourselves and raised Hota to be who she is today…" Setsuna spoke and watched realization overflow on Ayame's face.

"So, she no longer has her family?" He asked and she shook her head.

"In a way, yes… But in a way, no. To her as well as Makoto and Rei, the Senshi are their family and for the longest time I had convinced myself that they were content and that was all that they needed, but recently I have found myself to be mistaken…" She whispered and looked up to the three.

"They need to find their own happiness and their family, but they can't do that in Juuban, we all know that." She bit her lip and sighed as she looked to see their expressions of deep thought.

"You're asking for them to stay here, aren't you Setsuna-san?" Hatori asked without looking at her and she gave him a small smile.

"I am begging you to give them their happiness back." She whispered and his head snapped up to see her pleading expression.

"I think we should do it." Setsuna's eyes widened at who spoke and she looked over at Ayame and her eyes softened.

"Ayame…" She whispered with a smile Shigure saw this and pursed his lips.

"I think they should stay too! In fact! Why don't you all stay here!?" He asked happily and she grumbled.

"He's missing the point…"

"We still can't tell them anything, and do you really think it's safe for them especially when we have to tell Akito?... You know what happened last time… I don't ever what to partake in hurting any of them like that again, we promised their families." Hatori spoke and Aaya grabbed his hand with tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Tori-san! You are such a kind and giving person! I wish I could be as half as valorous as you are!" Ayame cried as Setsuna rolled her eyes.

"I wish you would be too…" She seethed and heard something crash in the kitchen.

"Now see! If you would have just listened to me when I told you to stir it this wouldn't have happened you baka-neko!" She heard Rei scream and sweatdropped and more pans crashed.

"Well if you would have just let me do what I wanted then that wouldn't have happened, you stupid miko!" He screamed and complete mayhem ensued in the small kitchen.

"Y-you'll have to forgive her and Makoto… They've always been easily angered… Especially, Rei-chan, one of her terrible personality faults." Setsuna sweatdropped and stood up.

"Yes… I do remember those two were little spitfires, weren't they?" Shigure asked fondly and Setsuna as well as the others walked into the kitchen to see Makoto and Rei covered in flour and shoving dough into Kyou's mouth while Makoto held him down.

"There! Does that taste good!? Huh!? What's that?! You want more!?" Rei screamed and just as she was about to pick more up and shove it in his mouth they heard Setsuna.

"Ahem!?" She shouted and Rei dropped the dough and Makoto looked up and loosened her grip on the orange haired boy and the three of them stood up angrily.

"S/He started it!" They all three screamed, as Rei and Makoto pointed to the boy in the middle and he pointed his thumbs to the girls on either side of him and their heads snapped in his direction angrily.

"We did not you asshole!" Rei screamed and Hotaru cringed at the sound of her voice.

"Oh really!?" He asked and stepped closer to her and Makoto kicked him so that he fell to the floor.

"Yeah!" She screamed and just as they were about to start letting the punches fly, Setsuna screamed.

"You three sit down and act like humans beings! Look at what you've done to this house!" Setsuna screamed and Rei and Makoto were over at the table next to the three others only leaving a trail of flour behind them as Kyou looked around and jumped in a seat as well.

Setsuna fumed and clenched her fists and Hotaru was sure that she was going to pop that vain out of her forehead.

"You-" She was stopped by a hand being placed over her mouth.

"Suna-chan, let them take care of this. I will go and calm you down." Shigure smiled and drug her off as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

"You three, clean this place up." Shigure called over his shoulder and Rei and Makoto grumbled at having to be near Kyou more.

"M-Mako-chan, Rei-san, Kyou-kun… I can hel-" Tohru was stopped by Hotaru who shook her head.

"I think it would be best if we didn't crowd them more… Besides, Mako-chan could handle it on her own if she wanted." Hotaru smiled kindly and stood up.

"Why don't you show me around to kill the time?" Hotaru asked as she smiled at Tohru who hopped up excitedly.

"Absolutly, Tomoe-san!" She smiled and they walked out.

"You can call me, Hotaru-chan. Any friend of Mako-chan's is a friend of mine." They heard her call as they walked by Ayame who let his eyes follow the two and then he broke into to tears.

"S-she's so kind! Yuki, why won't you treat me like that!?" Ayame shouted and Rei and Makoto gave the smaller boy a smirk as he walked out of the room without even saying anything.

"But Yuki! You've glanced at me! You are giving me attention!... Give me more!" Ayame pranced out of the room after the smaller boy as Rei couldn't help but crack a smile.

"He's like a really big-assed and more annoying Odago-atama isn't he?" She asked as they stood up, completely forgetting Kyou.

Makoto stopped patting the flour off of her clothing and pressed her finger to her lips.

"A little… But if you really want to meet her twin, you'll need to meet Momiji-kun!" Makoto smiled and winked.

"He's just like her… But without the klutziness…" She smiled and began to pick up the pots and pans.

"Great, that's exactly what a need. I get enough of her when her mini-me comes around… All they do is fight…" Rei growled and Makoto smiled.

"Yes, she and Chibi-Usa fight… but just like you and Usa-chan, you fight to show your affection for her and that you're really like sisters." Makoto smiled and watched Rei's eye twitch.

"Oh, Rei! Honestly, you two fight enough to be like siblings!... Even if all you do is fight over idiotic things…" She smiled and then it hit her and she turned to Kyou who had been watching them curiously out of the corner of his eyes as he cleaned.

"You know…" She mused and leaned against the counter as she stared at Kyou.

"You and Usagi fighting reminds me a lot of Yuki-san and Kyou fighting…" Makoto smiled and watched him turn from what he was cleaning to glare.

"Do not compare me to that jerk, Makoto… Have some respect for me, please." Rei growled as she wiped the floors and the brunette shrugged.

"The truth hurts." She smiled and Kyou growled attempting to not say anything.

-:-

After the three food covered teenagers had showered the unwanted morsels out of their hair, the three youngest Senshi and Tohru sat in the living room talking.

"So, what do you have planned for your birthday tomorrow, Rei-chan?" Hotaru asked and Tohru leaped up in shock.

"Y-your birthday's tomorrow!? Oh my! I have to go and buy you a present! How rude of me, I-"

"Tohru-chan, please calm down. I don't want a present, I'm fine." Rei spoke and let go of her elbow and watched her lower herself back to the couch.

"And I was hoping that maybe we could go to the beach." Rei smiled and Hotaru sat up.

"That's a great idea! Tohru-chan! You should come and meet the others! You're really going to like Usagi-chan and Mina-chan!" Hotaru smiled and Tohru gave her a saddened look.

"N-no, I couldn't impose on your birthday with your friends like that!" Tohru shouted and Rei smiled kindly.

"I'm inviting you to come and meet the others, besides…" She trailed on with a sweatdrop.

"I'm sure Makoto-chan has told Odango-atama all about you and she's jumping out of her skin to meet a new person to annoy." Rei finished and Hotaru and Makoto sweatdropped.

"When you put it that way Rei, it sounds so mean…" Makoto spoke and then heard shouting from upstairs.

"I am trying to take a nap!" They heard the female screech and could only wonder what was happening.

They watched Setsuna whose hair was tousled, stomp down the stairs followed by Ayame who gracefully ran to her his hands playing with her hair as she walked.

"But I thought maybe if I massaged your body you would be more relaxed, Suna-chan! You should be happy that I am kind enough to expel my energy on you!" He proclaimed and her features darkened a small blush on her cheeks as she glared.

"**I. Was. Asleep! **I've been worn out by you and Shigure's constant picking at me-…" She looked to see him twiddling her hair between his fingers and then pull it to his lips.

"Oh, Suna-chan's a raspberry-vanilla; I always took you as a simple coconut, or even a strawberry shampoo… But, raspberry-vanilla?... It's so enthralling." He spoke softly as he watched her blush.

"Give me that!" She shouted and pulled her hair from his grasp and stomped into the kitchen as Ayame followed like a lost puppy.

"Hatori! Call him off!" She shouted and slammed her fist into the table that Yuki, Kyou, Shigure and Hatori were sitting at.

"I thought I told you to leave Setsuna-san alone, Ayame." Hatori growled becoming annoyed with the man even if it wasn't him he was pestering.

"Aw! But Tori-san! It's been so long since Suna-chan and I have had our quality time! It's been since High School!" Ayame cried as he grasped her long hair once more.

"Ayame." Hatori growled and the silver haired man sat down pouting while Yuki looked at him like he was an idiot.

"I am going to go and try to recuperate… This time, when I wake up-" She snapped her head in Ayame's and Shigure's direction and her features darkened.

"**I better wake up alone."** She growled menacingly and walked away.

"She wants me." Ayame spoke as soon as she was out of earshot as he examined his fingernails.

"She didn't want you in High School." Shigure growled and Ayame rolled his eyes.

"Oh, she just doesn't know how to express her love for me yet, so she uses hatred just like Yuki." Ayame smiled across the table at the simmering boy.

"**Get. Out."** He growled much similar to the way Setsuna just had.

"You, see? There's your proof." Ayame smiled and Kyou rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the man.

"So which do you think she'll choose in the end?" They heard Rei ask in the living room.

"Hell, I've got my bets on Shigure-san!" They heard Makoto muse dreamily as Shigure sat up a little straighter at the respect.

"Yeah, Ayame's up her ass too much, that just pisses her off… I would have kicked his ass by now." They heard Rei growl and Ayame simmered.

"I-I don't know… I think Ayame-san might have a chance, but Suna sure seems upset with him doesn't she?" They heard Hotaru speak softly and Ayame looked over at Shigure with a sneer as if he would now win.

"Man, Suna's so lucky! I wish I had hot guys swooning over me!... They're so… If only…" They heard Makoto sigh dreamily.

"Oh, shut up Makoto! Is romance all you ever think about!?" Rei berated.

"No! I just find it highly romantic! Like something in a movie!... And you're one to talk! You have men swooning all over you! So just do us all a favor and pick one!" Makoto shouted and heard Rei laugh.

"Yes, I suppose I should…."

"I have to agree with Mako-chan, I think it's romantic… And Setsuna needs someone to keep her company… She's always alone." They heard Hotaru speak and Ayame and Shigure shout out of their chairs so fast that they fell over.

"Thank you for your boost of information, children!" Shigure shouted as he and Ayame rushed upstairs to the room Setsuna was napping in.

Makoto and the three other girls watched them with sweatdrops.

"They goners." Makoto spoke and they all nodded.

-:- The next day -:-

"Happy birthday Rei-chan!" Hotaru yelled next to the sleeping girl and she fell out of the bed.

"Come on! Come on! Mako-chan made your favorite!" Hotaru yelled leading the still half awake birthday girl down the stairs and her eyes lit up at the smell.

She turned the corner to the kitchen and smiled.

"Makoto, you didn't!" She cried and rushed over at the smiling brunette to see indeed, she had made Fugu.

Kyou sat in the living room and had watched Makoto come down early that morning and begin to prepare the dish for her friend. He knew that the fish was poisonous if cooked wrong but something inside him said that she had known what she was doing.

"Where did you get it!?" She shouted and wafted the wonderful aroma to herself and Makoto smiled and winked.

"It's a secret! Now you enjoy before anyone else wakes up and tries to eat it." She smiled and handed all the females a plate. She sat and just watched them eat for a minute and then walked into the living room to see Kyou 'asleep' on the couch and smiled.

"_This is my chance to finally make things right between us before I have to leave."_ She thought and walked over and sat on the coffee table next to where he was 'sleeping'.

He knew she was there watching him and it was hard for him to keep a straight face as he pretended to be asleep. He felt his face slowly begin to heat up when she hadn't tried to awaken him yet.

She looked down at him, a small smile on her lips and then she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Kyou… Hey Kyou?" She asked softly and watched his eyes slowly open to look into hers and she blushed.

"Hey, I made Rei-chan some Fugu and I know you like fish, so I thought I'd offer you some before Shigure-san or Ayame-san decide to wake up and eat it all." She smiled down at him and he looked at her not believing that she was being so nice.

"I-" He started but was cut off.

"Oh, Makoto-chan! Who knew you were so romantic!" She snapped her head up to see Ayame with his arms draped over the back of the couch with a smile.

Her face slowly heated up and she quickly took her hand off of the orange haired boy's shoulder.

"A-A-Ayame-san! You- I-… Where did you come from!?" She asked her face still incredibly red.

"Well, I have a fine nose to smell food of such delicacy as Fugu. So I came down to partake in Rei-chan's birthday breakfast and happened to come in just as you were making lovey-dovey eyes at Kyonkichi!" He mused and she fell off the table and on to the floor her face as red as Kyou's eyes.

"Wh-what are you talking about!?" She cried and Kyou's eye twitched and he turned around and punched the man.

"For God's sake, you idiot!" He screamed and stomped off to the kitchen and Makoto stood up and straightened her clothing.

"I just going to apologize too you baka!" She cried and he sat on the floor looking after her and Kyou as they walked into the kitchen.

"Akito… Won't be happy if he finds out." He spoke softly.

"Here you are!" She smiled happily and handed the boy his portion and watched her sit down next to Tohru and begin eating hers.

"Mako-chan! This is so delicious! It's so amazing that you can prepare such a dish!" Tohru shouted and Makoto blushed.

"Well, it is Rei's favorite." She smiled over at the miko who was still happily eating.

Kyou watched for a few minutes still a bit speculative about it being prepared correctly and then finally took a bite no longer able to keep from the wonderful smell. His eyes widened at the taste, he had never had Fugu before and he always knew it was a delicacy but now he understood why.

"It's good isn't it Kyou-kun!? I told you Mako-chan was an amazing chef!" Tohru smiled happily over at the boy as he blushed trying to think of what to say without sounding like a pansy.

"It's-"

"I want some!!!" Ayame cried and held onto Makoto's legs begging for his own and Makoto growled getting pissed that every time Kyou was about to tell her something he would interrupt.

"Here, now shut up and enjoy!" She growled and shoved him a plate.

"What's all this shouting for?" A voice asked and Makoto looked behind Kyou to see Hatori walking in, looking a bit tired and she shot up happily.

"Oh! Hatori-san! Would you like some Fugu!? I made it for Rei-chan's birthday!" She smiled up at him and he returned the favor.

"Of, course Makoto-san." He replied and took a seat as his dish was placed in front of him.

"Why do you serve Tori-san so kindly and not me, Makoto-chan?" Ayame whined.

"Because you're a pain in the ass." Kyou growled and the silver haired man waved his hand dismissively.

"I was not talking to you, Kyonkichi; I was talking to the beautiful and skillful woman who made this dish." Ayame smiled and Makoto blushed.

"Even you can't calm your testosterone in the morning, Ayame." Setsuna growled and he smiled next to her.

"Here, you look tired Suna-chan. Let me feed you." He commanded and she growled and looked over at Makoto.

"Thank you, Mako-chan. It was wonderful; I only have such a wonderful dish once a year and I'm grateful that you once again made it. But we've got to hurry and get ready. We'll be leaving for the beach in about an hour." She spoke and Makoto nodded as she sat a plate in front of Yuki who had just entered, still a bit out of it.

"Right… Here you are Yuki-san!" She spoke happily.

"Thank you, Kino-san." He smiled at her and she looked up to see Ayame with large eyes.

"Suna-chan?" He asked and watched the green haired woman turn around as she was about to turn the corner to the hallway.

"Yes?" She growled.

"Did you say all you women were going to the beach?" He asked and she rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Yes, Ayame I did." She growled and turned the corner as he stood up.

"Where are you going, Ayame?" Hatori asked and he looked back with a smile.

"To find some extra strength sun block of course!" He smiled happily and disappeared.

"Good luck with him." Kyou growled and Hotaru smiled over at him.

"Hey! Why don't you all come with us!? What do you say, Kyou-kun, Hatori-Kun, Yuki-kun!?" She asked happily and Makoto and Rei looked at one another and then mentally decided that if Ayame had just invited himself, then it couldn't be worse.

"We don't want to intrude on your birthday, Rei-san." Hatori spoke and she stiffened as he looked at her while she began to blush.

"Oh no! Really! It's no problem at all!" She cried and looked away feeling her face heat up once more.

"I don't really like water… At all." Kyou replied.

"Aw! Come on! It'll be fun!" Makoto smiled over at him and then she thought of something.

"Besides…" She trailed on.

"I'm pretty sure that Ruka wouldn't mind meeting you." She smiled thinking of an angry Haruka trying to get along with all the men.

"Yes, you should definitely come." She added with a malicious grin.

"I suppose I can come, that is if you don't mind." Yuki added and Hotaru looked at him with a happy expression.

"That's wonderful! Then it's settled! We're going to the beach!" She shouted happily.

"This is going to be so much fun, meeting all of your other friends, Mako-chan!" Tohru smiled happily at the brunette.

"Okay, let's go!" Makoto shouted as she, Hota and Tohru rushed out of the room excitedly.

"They're morons." Kyou smirked as Rei looked over at him.

"You know, I'm sure Mako-chan really wouldn't mind it if you came, Kyou… I've never seen her treat a guy like I've seen her treat you." She smiled and the three men looked at her wearily.

"You mean try to beat the shit out of me and cause problems?" He growled and she shrugged and placed her dish in the sink.

"Call it what you will, but all I'm saying is that out of all of them, you're very different." She smiled as she watched him blush.

"It's your choice." She called over her shoulder as she turned the corner leaving the three of them in the room alone.

"They're definitely morons." Kyou commented and Yuki even nodded in agreement as Hatori sweatdropped.

"They're very dense when it comes to love, aren't they, Haa-san?" Shigure asked as he rubbed his eyes, taking a seat at the table and looked at everyone else's food.

"Did I miss something?" He asked and they sweatdropped.

-:- about and hour later -:-

Makoto walked out of the house followed by the others with sunglasses, hats, coolers, you name something that said 'beach' they had it.

"Alright! Let's go!" She shouted enthusiastically.

"It's just like you Koto to be so energetic to see a few men in nothing but swimming trunks." They heard a voice and Setsuna sighed knowing now that things wouldn't end well.

Kyou watched as Makoto's face quickly changed and he looked behind her to see a handsome man with sandy hair leaning on a highly expensive looking car.

She flipped her head around and smiled brightly and dropped her things as did Hotaru and took of in his direction.

"Ruka!!" She cried happily as she jumped into her arms happily and Hotaru did a few seconds after.

"Haruka-papa! I've missed you! Where's Michiru-mama!?" Hotaru asked and the men's and Tohru's mouths dropped open.

"Suna?... Did she call him-"

"Yes, Ayame." She replied and walked forward as did Rei.

"How you two been, Firefly, Koto?" She asked with a smiled and Makoto couldn't help but hug her once again.

"I should be asking you that! I haven't seen you since you went with the others to see Mamoru-san! Where are the others? Are they here!?" She shouted happily as she popped her head around to see someone in the car that was unexpected.

"Gezz, do you guys only care about Haruka-chan!?" The little girl shouted with a smile and Makoto looked to see Hotaru smile happily and run to the pink haired friend.

"Chibi-Usa-chan!?" She shouted and hugged the little girl.

"Hey, Hotaru-chan! Did you miss me!?" She beamed.

"That was really nice you, Haruka-chan." Rei spoke with a smile and embraced the woman.

"How have you been, Rei? You feel any older?" She asked with a smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh shut up." She laughed and Makoto grabbed the taller girl's hand and pulled her to the rest of the men who were either shocked by the handsome man and were jealous or shocked because there was a girl with bright pink hair and red eyes.

"Ruka, these are the Sohmas, the people who took me in and helped me." Makoto smiled up at her and she glared.

"Thanks for watching out for her and the others while I was gone." She spoke unemotionally at them and Kyou growled.

"It's not like we asked to, and who are you? Her boyfriend or something?" He growled and she cocked a smile and grabbed her waist and pulled her close to her.

"What would you do if I was, carrot-top?" She asked and Makoto's face lit up as she tried to push her away.

"Haruka, don't be rude to the people who have taken care of Makoto and Hotaru for you." Setsuna spoke and the blonde tsked looking the other way as Makoto was still trying to get out of her grasp.

"Whatever." She growled and Makoto finally pulled away.

"Haruka! Would you knock it off! And no Ruka is most certainly not my boyfriend!" She shouted her face flushing and Ayame stepped forward.

"It seems we've reached an impasse for the lovers. Will the new arrival steal your little rose, Kyonkichi, or will you take a stand for the captured princess from the valorous knight? Oh wait, I forgot. You're the peasant, he wins by the fault." Ayame laughed as Kyou growled.

"Hello, Haruka-San! I am Honda Tohru; it's a pleasure to meet you!" She smiled up at her and Haruka smiled down at her and kissed her hand making the men almost jump out of their skin.

"No, it's my pleasure to meet such a beautiful girl such as yourself. My name is Tenoh Haruka." She smiled and Tohru blushed.

"Haruka!" Makoto yelled blushing and tried to kick her away from her friend but she caught her foot.

"You're still much too slow, Koto." She mused at the brunette and released her foot.

"Wait! You don't mean you're Tenoh Haruka, the famous racecar driver, do you!?" Tohru shouted and Haruka looked back at her with a dazzling smile.

"So you've heard of me?" She asked smoothly and Tohru blushed.

"Just stop it! Leave Tohru-chan alone! Or I'm telling Michiru!" She growled and let go of Tohru's hand with a sigh.

"Honestly, Haruka I think you would learn better than to hit on every girl you see…" Rei spoke angrily and Haruka smiled.

"Well, it's hard when you're all just so damn beautiful." She spoke and Hotaru hit her.

"Haruka-papa!" She whined and Chibi-Usa came running up after her and jumped into Setsuna's arms.

"Suna-chan!!" She cried and Setsuna hugged her smiling happily.

"How are you Small Lady?" She asked and Chibi-Usa pulled away with a pout.

"Puu, I told you to call me Chibi-Usa. And I've missed you! Usagi-baka wouldn't stop crying when we left Mamo-kun! She's so annoying sometimes!" She growled and looked behind her with wide eyes that turned to hearts.

"Bishōnen! You guys didn't say you were living with a bunch of Bishies!" The little girl screamed and scrambled out of Setsuna's arms as the green haired woman sweatdropped.

She ran over to Kyou and Yuki and held out her hand.

"Hi! I Tsukino Chibi-Usa! It's nice to meet you!" She shouted happily and Yuki smiled down at the small girl and grabbed her hand.

"Hello Tsukino-san. I'm Sohma Yuki; it's nice to meet you." He spoke and she was turned around blushing and holding her hands to her face.

"_He touched me!"_ She thought and felt herself being picked up to see Haruka glaring at them.

"Come on, little one. The last thing I need is for you to become a boy crazy girl like Mina and Koto." Haruka spoke and Makoto snarled.

"Wait I didn't get to meet the other one!" The pink haired girl cried pointing at Kyou as his eye twitched.

"I am not boy crazy!" She screamed angrily as they walked by and Haruka turned around with a smile.

"Oh really now, Koto? What about all those 'He looks just like my senpai!' Senpai! Senpai! Sen-"

"Shut up Haruka!" She screamed and walked over to Tohru and grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Come on, we're riding with Ruka." She growled and Rei followed after them.

"We'll see you there." Hotaru smiled back at the men and took off after them and Setsuna sighed as she picked her things up.

"Suna-chan, your friends are quiet animated aren't they?" Shigure asked and she smirked looking back at them as she picked her things up.

"You haven't met all of them yet, you're in for some fun." She smirked malevolently and walked on towards Haruka's car.

"You know, on second thought I'll stay her-" Ayame and Shigure cut Kyou off before he could leave and drug him towards Hatori's car kicking and screaming.

"Come, come Kyonkichi! Don't you wish to see Makoto-chan in a bikini!?" Ayame shouted with a blush.

"Indeed! And she has female friends! I have not forgotten about this Usagi person!" Shigure shouted happily and Yuki looked to Hatori who sighed.

"It won't take long." He spoke softly and they walked after them.

-:-

Hotaru stepped out of the car and closed her eyes and breathed in the wonderful aroma of the salt air. She opened her eyes and smiled looking out at the ocean. She very much loved it here; she felt so free, so happy, content, and safe. She looked over to see Hatori's car pulling up and smiled thinking of all the people that she had just met and now she had her old friends and her new friends who were all good people.

"Damn, it's already hot out." Haruka murmured and watched as the people slowly shelled out of Hatori's car and Makoto walked over to the two brawling boys to try and stop them from fighting.

"Okay! Stop! We're here for Rei-chan! So could you at least-" Makoto was stopped by someone screaming.

"MMMMMMMMMAAAAAAKKKKKKKOOOOO-CCCHHHHHHHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!" He looked over to see a yellow flash and Makoto was on the ground being hugged by a short girl about Tohru's size with two balls of hair on top of her head, crying.

"Oh! Mako-chan I've missed you and your yummy food and you and… And- and I've missed you! I wish you would have gone to America with us!" She cried and Makoto sat up smiling and hugged her friend and patted her on the head.

"I've missed you too, Usa-chan." She smiled and the girl looked up at her tears pouring down her face.

"Really?" She cried and Makoto laughed happily.

"How could I not? Who was going to eat me out of house and home?" She smiled and the blonde pouted.

"Not me, I suppose." She smiled and looked up blushing a deep crimson as she heard another voice.

"AHHH!! Mako! Mako!? Are these the Bishōnen that you stayed with!? I've never seen Usagi-chan run that fast before and now I know why, you lucky dog!" They looked up to see another blonde with long blonde hair rushing towards them.

She felt an arm grasp her upper arm and saw Shigure smiling down at her.

"So, this is the Usagi you were talking of, ne?" He asked and helped the brunette up as well as Usagi who looked up at him and her whole body turned red.

"Y-Y-Y-you know my name?" She stuttered and suddenly her head flew forward.

"Baka! You have a fiancée, remember Odango-Atama!?" A voice they knew all too well shouted and Usagi turned around angrily and put her hands on her hips, glaring.

"Gezz for the birthday girl you're pretty grouchy! And what are you my mother?! I can look if I want to!" She shouted and Rei stepped forward and glared.

"No, but what would you do if Mamoru-san got smart and said he wanted better than you?" She asked and Usagi stuck her tongue out.

"He wouldn't say that because we're MADE for each other! He loves me you baka miko!" She shouted and blew a raspberry as did Rei as they smashed their faces together to see who could do it the longest before they were out of breath.

"How have you been, Mako? And when are you going to introduce me to your hunky friends?" Mina asked looking Kyou up and down and he now felt completely naked, almost like she was undressing him with her eyes.

"Mina! Don't be so rude! Mako-chan just got here and you're already going after men!" They heard a berating voice and turned to see two blue haired women walking towards them.

Shigure's and Ayame's mouths dropped open at the sight of the long haired one in her black one piece.

"Hello I'm-" Ayame tried to speak but she walked right by him and to Haruka and hugged her.

"Mako-chan, how are you? Are you alright after being hurt?" Ami asked and Makoto shook her head and smiled then hugged the girl.

"I'm fine Ami-chan, but I'd like you two to meet the Sohmas." She smiled and watched Ami turn beat red against her blue hair and Shigure smiled.

"You are a very beautiful girl. Please grace me with your name?" He asked and she shut her eyes tightly and gulped.

"M-Mizuno A-Ami, it's a pleasure to m-meet you." She spoke and he smiled.

"Ah, but the pleasure is all mine, Ami-san. My name is Sohma Shigure." He smiled as he pressed his lips to her hand.

"_She's so innocent."_ He thought and then felt himself falling to the ground in pain.

"You'll have to forgive my cousin, Mizuno-san he acts like that often. My name is Sohma Yuki, it wonderful to meet you." He smiled and she blushed once again and looked down at the man on the ground in worry.

"Uh… Um… Will- will he be alright?" She asked and brought her hand to her mouth.

"He will be fine. But now that you've met my younger brother you can meet me, you beautiful creature." Ayame smiled as he leaned on Yuki's shoulder and Ami's eyes grew wider and her blush deeper.

"I am Sohma Ayame. I-" Ayame was thrown to the ground as Yuki walked away.

"Yuki! That hurt!" Ayame cried.

"Hello Yuki-san! I'm Aino Minako!" Mina yelled as she extended her hand with a smile and Yuki shook it smiling back.

"It's nice to meet you Aino-san." He smiled and she almost fainted.

"_He's such a hotty!" _ She thought with a blush and her head snapped over to Kyou, who Makoto was helping carry some bags. It was like a hunter getting ready to aim their gun and shoot the poor defenseless creature.

"Hello! Mako-chan, aren't you going to introduce me to this hunky man!?" Mina asked as she suddenly appeared on his arm and he almost jumped out of his skin and Makoto laughed.

"That's Kyou… And I'm pretty sure he doesn't like you being that close…" Makoto mused looking at the two as Mina was clinging to his arm with a smile and he was trying to shake her off.

"Oh! Kyou! What a cute name! I'm Aino Minako! But you can call me Mina-chan." She smiled and he glared at Makoto as she shrugged.

"_This girl's is as bad, or__ maybe even worse than Kagura!"_ He thought with a grimace as he hobbled down the stairs to the sand, the blonde still attached to him.

"Rei-san, maybe you should calm down and head down to the beach like the others are?" A voice asked and she looked up from fighting with Usagi to see Hatori and gasped with a blush.

"O-Oh, you're right, Hatori-san! Let's go!" She blushed and berated herself for acting like such a child in front of him and Usagi looked at her then back up to the taller man and smiled.

"Hi! I'm Tsukino Usagi! It's nice to meet you Hatori-chan!" She shouted and extended her hand and he was shocked that she had just met him and was already calling him 'chan'.

"It's nice to meet you too, Tsukino-san." He smiled down at her and she rushed over to help Rei grab her things and Hatori followed.

"Here, Rei-san let me help you with that." He offered and she looked up, her face reddening even more.

"No, that's alright. I can handle it. Really I-" He cut her off by picking them up out of her hands and smiled.

"It's alright, Rei-san." He spoke and her mouth fell open slightly as she watched him turned and walk down the sandy steps as everyone else had.

She looked down and bit her lip and put her hand to her chest, her face completely flushed.

"So Rei-chan! You've got yourself a love affair or something with Tori-kun!?" Usagi screamed and Hatori heard her and couldn't help but smile as he heard Rei's shouts and screams at the little blonde.

"Ah! Haa-san! You're smiling! Why, what's funny!? Oh! Don't tell me! You're lovey-dovey with Rei-chan already?! Am I right?! I'm right aren't I?!" Shigure screamed happily as he lifted his shades up while lounging in a chair.

"… No." He replied without emotion and sat the things down.

-:-

After long introductions and saying hello, the shorts were shimmied off and the men's hearts skipped beats as they did so.

"Ayame and Shigure seem to be enjoying themselves." Hatori spoke as he watched Ayame practically glued his eyes to Setsuna as she took her clothing off and stripped down to her bathing suit.

"Tsk, they would, the little perverts!" Kyou growled still sitting in his clothes and Hatori looked over at him and smiled.

"You don't like the water do you?" He asked and Kyou looked up at him and shook his head.

"I hate it." He grumbled and Hatori smiled as he closed his eyes once more.

"_Yet, you still came."_ He thought and heard Kyou gasp as did Shigure and Ayame.

He pulled his sunglasses down to see them all staring at the girls and then realized, Kyou wouldn't openly show his happiness at seeing the opposite sex half naked, and then he saw it too and his eyes widened.

"You're a girl!?" Aaya and Shigure both screamed at the same time as they looked over at Haruka who looked behind herself to them men and smirked as she winked.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't obvious enough." She smiled and Michiru walked over and Haruka put her arm around her waist and Shigure and Ayame fell back with nosebleeds.

"Perverts." Kyou grumbled and they heard footsteps running towards them and looked up to see Makoto running over to them in her green string bikini.

Kyou gulped and she smiled down at him curiously as she tucked her hair that as out of it's ponytail behind her ear.

"Hey, come on you've got to do something! I know you said you don't like the water, but come on; you're seriously not just going to sit here all day and fry like an old man are you?" She asked and Hatori sent her a glare and she held her hands up in defense.

"B-But it's different for you, Hatori-san!" She spoke and then turned back to Kyou with a smile.

"So, come on! You haven't even taken your clothes off!" She pestered him and he looked the other way.

"Go on, Kyou. Go enjoy yourself." Hatori spoke and they both looked at him and Makoto smiled.

"Come on, Kyou-kun! A cute girl in a nice little bikini is asking you to go and play with her!" Shigure spoke and looked over at her with a smile and she now felt as if she were completely naked.

"Well, when you put it that way you make me sound like a whore, Shigure." She growled and he laughed.

"I know!" He laughed and she placed her hands on her hips angrily.

"Yes! Yes! Go Kyonkichi! Go to your woman!" Ayame shouted passionately as he held up his parasol over his head.

"She is not my woman! And I told you to stop calling me that!" He shouted and she blushed.

She watched him stand up and take his shirt off and then begin to unzip his pants and she turned around blushing.

She knew that he was just pulling them off to reveal his swimming trunks, but it still felt odd if she were to sit there and watch him do so.

Shigure looked at her and smiled seeing her turn around, a blush on her face as she looked to the ground.

"She's so innocent. She can't even watch him change." Shigure whispered to Ayame who nodded his head with a snicker.

"Okay." He called and she turned around smiling and grabbed his hand and took off running.

"Well, come on then! We're going to play chicken and I need a partner!" She shouted as he blushed feeling their fingers linked as she led him to the others who were in the water.

"What's chicken?" They heard him ask and Shigure sighed happily.

"Oh, young love… do you remember it Haa-san?" Shigure asked and he looked to see Rei walking towards them her body soaking wet as she brought her hair over her shoulder and began to wring it out.

"I think… That I remember." He replied and Rei sighed exasperatedly as she took as seat next to the man and wrapped a towel around her body and looked to see Shigure and Ayame whispering under Ayame's parasol.

"So strange…" She whispered and looked over at Hatori with a smile.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Hatori-san?" She asked with a smile and watched him look over at her with a small smile and nod his head.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for being kind enough to invite us all. I think it's good for Yuki and Kyou to get out like this. It helps them feel as if they've grown up normal. I'm sure you three know what that's like." He answered and she looked at him with a small smile.

"Yes… we all do, and by we I mean by all the girls here. If you haven't guessed it already, all of our friends are the rest of the Sailor Senshi." She spoke and his eyes widened and he looked over at the group playing in the water. Makoto was on Kyou's shoulders and Minako on Haruka's as they tried to throw one another off, but it seemed that Haruka kept hitting Kyou so he would let go of Makoto and she would fall backwards taking him down with her. ( Ah! I love that game!... But someone how whenever I play I end up getting my hair pulled… Dirty cheaters, or they hit the person that's holding me and I do as Mako did, lol)

He smiled and looked back at her.

"You all had such different personalities, I was wondering how you all came to be friends and know each other." He smiled and she blushed.

"Yes, a lot of people tend to ask that… We are a strange group of friends, but we love each other and take care of each other. We're a family." She smiled at him and he let his eyes soften as he looked at her happy face.

"That's… That's good." He smiled at the purple eyed girl as she blushed with a smile. They sat there looking at each other for a few minutes and then it hit her what she was really doing and she stood up, her face red once again.

"Hehehe… Um, well I-I better get back there before they start yelling." She stuttered and took off back to the beach.

Ayame and Shigure both sat up straight as they watched Setsuna come out of the water and towards them.

Shigure and Ayame quickly grabbed the dry towels and watched her look at them with a cocked eyebrow as she walked up.

"Can I have my towel?" She asked looking at them and they smiled.

"Can you do something for us, Suna-chan?" Ayame asked suggestively and she turned and walked away.

"I'd rather freeze to death." She grumbled and they shot up and ran after her towels in hand.

"Wait! We have towels! Come back!" They shouted and Hatori sighed angrily and stood up and walked to the bar.

"I need a drink…" He grumbled.

Makoto sighed as she sat down on the towel and began to dry herself off, enjoying the warm sun against her body. She leaned back and closed her eyes, deciding maybe tanning wouldn't be such a bad idea. She couldn't have been happier. She got to spend all this time with Tohru-chan and then Tohru got to meet her best friends and all this happened on Rei's birthday at the beach… And as a consolation prize, she and Kyou had gotten along even when they lost to Haruka and Mina in chicken who had cheated just because it was an easy way for Haruka to hit the boy.

At the thought of the orange haired boy, her face flushed. There were plenty of other men walking around the beach today, but he was the one that she couldn't get off of her mind or away from her sight…

"Come on Mako-chan! We're gonna play Volleyball!" She opened her eyes to see Usagi running towards her, Tohru in toe and she smiled and sat up.

They were so much alike, and it made her so happy to know that all of her friends were at the least civil with each other.

"Coming!" She shouted and took off towards them smiling.

Haruka and Michiru looked over at Hotaru and smiled seeing her talking with the boy Yuki.

"So that's him, hum?" Michiru asked with a smile, her fingers laced with her lovers.

"Yeah, that's him alright, you can see it." Haruka replied and watched Hotaru look down to pick up a seashell and examine it and Yuki speak to her, probably telling her something about it as the purple eyed girl smiled.

"Do you… do you think either of them know yet?" Michiru asked and Haruka cast her eyes to the ground.

"I don't know, she never told me anything about her remembering." The sandy haired blonde replied sullenly.

"Come on you two! Come play! Even the party-pooper Kyou's playing!" Their rabbit like princess shouted to the two purple eyes teens.

"Who are you calling a party-pooper you Odango-atama!" The orange haired boy screamed and she turned around with a glare.

"You are not allowed to call me that, mister carrot head!" The blonde screamed back and Haruka couldn't suppress her smile.

"Let's go too, Michi. We'll show them the meaning of volleyball." Haruka smirked as the blue haired woman smiled and followed.

"Come on Yuki-kun!" Hotaru shouted and grabbed his wrist pulling him towards the group of friends and he smiled as he looked at the girl pulling him along.

He couldn't help but feel softened when he was around her, and he felt as if he wanted to protect her, to keep her near so no one would hurt her.

-:- Later that evening -:-

After saying goodbyes and such they began to get things ready to return home from the beach.

"We have to go and get our things from the Sohmas and then we'll be coming home. So we'll see you then, alright?" Makoto spoke to Ami and Mina as they walked along and Mina pouted.

"This is so not fair; I wanna go stay with a bunch of hot guys… Damn, Tohru-chan you're so lucky! You get to _live_ with them and go to _school _with them!" Mina wailed and Tohru patted her head.

Haruka looked over at Hotaru and the purple eyed girl must have sensed it since she smiled and walked over.

"Goodbye, Haruka-papa… I'll see you tonight." Hotaru smiled and hugged the taller woman as she put her hand on her head and smiled.

"Goodbye, Firefly." She smiled and the little girl took off towards Hatori's car along with the Rei, Mako, and Suna.

Haruka caught sight of Yuki before he entered the car and grabbed his upper arm and he turned around and looked at her confusedly.

"Hey, kid… You take care of Hotaru for me while she's gone… You better protect her with your life because if she gets hurt, I'll come kick your ass you got?" Haruka asked with a small blush and he cocked an eyebrow at her and understood that must have been her way of saying 'please take care of my daughter?'. He smiled and nodded.

"Of course… But they're going home tonight, so I'm not sure what you're so worried about." He smiled and she tsked and smirked as she walked away.

"Just remember what I said, kid." She waved without turning around and he watched her walk to the car filled with the other Senshi.

"Are you coming or not, Yuki-kun!?" Shigure pestered and he nodded jumping in the car.

-:-

"Well, we should probably get back to the main house. We've been gone for sometime now and I'm sure Momiji has found something to destroy." Hatori spoke and Ayame grasped Setsuna's hands.

"Farewell, Suna-chan! It has been wonderful! Until we meet again, my princess!" He cried and she sweatdropped.

The others said their goodbyes and Hatori had pushed Ayame out to the car before he snuck off and tried to attack Setsuna. Just as Rei was getting ready to turn around he gently caught her wrist and she turned around to see him smiling softly.

"That's right; I forgot something, Rei-san." He spoke and she watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small elongated box and placed it in her hand.

She looked down at it and then back up at him curiously.

"Hatori-san, what-" She stopped when he grabbed a lock of her long hair next to her face.

"I haven't told you happy birthday, Rei-san." He smiled and she thought that she was going to pass out if she stared at him any longer.

"Enjoy." He smiled and walked out the door, letting the strands of her soft hair slip from his fingertips. She stood watching him for a few minutes in complete shock and confusion.

"Thank you." She whispered softly and averted her eyes to the small box and opened it. Her brow furrowed to see a small necklace on a thin gold chain and a small pendant of a panda with gold trimming and a red gem.

She looked at it and smiled with a blush.

"Thank you, Hatori…" She whispered and placed it back around her neck and pressed it to her chest.

He walked out the door knowing that she was staring at his back. He mentally berated himself for doing that, but it couldn't be helped.

"_I promise you, one day I'll make you my husband! I won't settle for anyone else, you got that!? So you better wait for me, Hatori-kun!"_ He heard her seven year old voice ring out in his mind as he felt the corner of his mouth turn up in a smirk.

"_It's been ten years to this day that I've held onto that necklace for you, and now ten years later it's finally in your hands. It's sad though, that I can keep all of your memories while you have nothing… But I feel you may be remembering soon. I hope the necklace will aid you in that, Rei."_ He thought as he finally reached the car that Ayame resided in.

She sighed as she shut the door behind her and turned the corner into the kitchen to see all the females sitting at the table smiling at her in an all-knowing way.

"Shut up…" She growled and took as seat next to Tohru.

"I suppose we should go and gather our things…" Makoto spoke sadly as they walked into the living room and the others nodded, but Setsuna stopped them.

"Not quiet, girls. You three will be staying here for protection purposes. There has been a presence and I fear what its true motives are. You all will be going to school with Yuki-san, Kyou-san and Tohru-san." Setsuna spoke and everyone but Shigure turned around looking at her like she was crazy.

"WWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAATTTT!?" They all screamed and she smiled with a nod.

"You start in three days!" She smiled.

-:-

Hehehe! Oh that chapter was so fun! I really like that ending of the chapter with Rei and Hatori, I've been planning that one for a while. And I know it seems as if Rei and Hatori are moving very quickly, but there is a reason for him to be acting so not himself around her and that also is part of the main plot that needs to be figured out. I think this last part of the chapter may have given away a bit of info for you to start making accurate assumptions. And yes, the Senshi are going to school and a new enemy waits! Gasp! And in the next chapter Haru enters the picture and helps little Taru out on her first day seeing as she'll be a grade lower than the rest of the kids! Her, Momiji, and Haru will make a good team!

And I think what I'm going to start doing is like this chapter was mainly about Rei and the next chapter is going to be mainly about Taru, and in every chapter there will be a good amount of Mako so I think that I'll start switching between the two girls so I can keep the romance even between the two seeing as Mako will always be a main character in a chapter. Yeah, I think that will work out nicely! And I feel bad because I feel as if I'm letting my Hota readers down because Haru hasn't shown up. So thank you guys for being patient with me! I didn't mean for it to take so long for him to arrive! Please, forgive me! Well, if you review, please don't be harsh… The more I receive the faster you read! Hehe, it's grown on me!

By the by, chapter four _should_ be out the sixteenth!

-Katness


	4. Their Imprints On Him

Sorry, I know this was supposed to be out yesterday, but the past two days I've only gotten about three hours of sleep and going to work for nine hours doesn't really mix well with your body, lol. Anyways, here is chapter four which I had so much fun writing, I really like the way it turned out. Thank you guys again for the reviews, I appreciate each and every one I receive from you. I dedicate this chapter to Broken Gem because she's always so kind and supporting me, and she always says the right thing to make me feel better! Thank you my dear; you've helped me so much!

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Until We Meet Again

Chapter Four- Their Imprints On Him

"S-Setsuna… You're kidding right!?" Makoto shouted. She didn't know whether to be upset or happy.

Setsuna nodded and looked over at Rei.

"I know you've been having visions of the new enemy, Rei but you haven't been able to differentiate them between your other dreams have you?" Setsuna asked and Kyou's eye twitched.

"Great that's just was we need, another psychic girl." Kyou murmured and Rei glared at him as though she was watching him burn to death.

"Do you want to insult my intuition again? I dare you." She beckoned and Kyou glared.

"Rei, that's beside the point. What I'm saying is, maybe it's best if you three stay here because I believe that if we catch this before it tried anything to go after Usagi-hime, then that will help us greatly… Especially since we only defeated Chaos about two months ago." She replied and the three Senshi lowered their eyes remembering that battle all too vividly.

"Yeah… How could I forget… That-… That was so terrible; I don't ever want to face anything like that. I want to protect Usa-hime with everything I've got! I say we stay!" Hotaru shouted and Makoto looked down at her, smiling.

"_She's… Really grown up."_ She thought and looked up as well.

"If it's for Usagi-chan, you know I'll do anything." Makoto replied seeing that she gained her little needed confidence from the younger Senshi. Setsuna looked to Rei and the Senshi all ignoring the surrounding people as if they weren't there.

"Okay… You know we can't let that baka do anything on her own… She still needs us so if staying here helps her then I guess I agree too." Rei replied sullenly thinking of her grandfather and her head snapped up.

"B-but what about grandpa!? H-he's so old and you know Spring and Summer are the hardest working times for him at the Shrine! And we have festival after festival! I can't leave him, he's counting on me!" Rei cried with a pleading look and Setsuna smiled at her loyalty to family unlike the miko's father had been.

"Then we can visit when those festivals arrive, Rei-san. It would be wonderful to see this Juuban that everyone speaks to fondly of." Shigure replied and she lowered her eyes, still not satisfied.

"But… But what if he gets sick or something?... what if he needs me?" She asked and Hotaru grabbed her hand and smiled up at her.

"Then you can go to him, Rei-chan. Mako-chan and I are strong and could watch this place for however long you needed to go back. You can count on us." She smiled and Rei rested her hand on the girls head.

"You're very mature for your age, Hota-chan… Odango-atama could learn from you once and a while." She smiled down at the girl and then looked up at them and nodded her head.

"Then it's settled! Operation: House the Sailor Senshi is in affect!" Shigure shouted enthusiastically and they all sweatdropped.

"There are too many females! We're being taken over and you don't even care!" Kyou cried and his eye twitched as he stomped up the stairs.

"S-So… So…" Tohru started with tears in her eyes and then hugged the three girls.

"So that means I get to live with you guys too!?" She shouted and cried happily as the three hugged her and patted her head with happy smiles.

"It's alright, Tohru-chan. You don't need to cry." Hotaru smiled comforting her.

"I-I'm just so happy! I'm so lucky! To live with the Sohma's and then my best friend's a Sailor Senshi and her friends are too and I got to _meet_ them!" She cried and they sweatdropped as Yuki watched smiling.

"_This will be good for Honda-san; she seems to get along well with Makoto and her friends."_ He thought smiling then turned to go upstairs.

"Good night." He called behind himself with a smile.

"Good night Yuki-kun." Hotaru smiled as they all bid him good night as well.

"So… Um… Shigure-san, where will we all sleep? We can't stay in poor Tohru's room, we crowded her enough last night." Rei asked and he smiled and lifted her chin up, giving her a dashing smile.

"You could all sleep in my room if you'd-oaf!" He then fell to the ground, Setsuna's arm still in the air as she growled.

"I told you to protect them, not become a pimp." She seethed and he looked up smiling.

"Oh, so you're jealous and wish to stay with me?" He asked and she turned to walk out the door and stopped to turn back.

"I've got to go and inform the others about what's going on and I will get your things and Rei-chan." She called and the miko looked up, their oddly colored eyes connecting and Setsuna smiled.

"I will talk with your grandfather, and happy birthday I hope you enjoyed yourself." She smiled and walked out the door and Rei smiled as she handled the small box in her hand.

"It really was the best birthday I've had since I can remember…" She whispered and suddenly the box was pulled from her grasp by Shigure who looked at it.

"Oh! Rei-san is this from a lover!? It is isn't it?" He asked and she growled and pulled it out of his hands.

"No! Now give it here you perverted little man!" She screamed angrily and crossed her arms under her chest.

"But seriously, Shigure-san… Where are we going to sleep while we live here?" Hotaru asked as she couldn't stop herself from helping the man stand as Rei huffed at her kindness.

"You are very kind Hotaru-chan, so you may have the good room." He smiled and Rei's and Makoto's head snapped over at him.

"Hey! I cooked for you!" Makoto yelled angrily.

"Yeah! And I… I let you come to the beach." She snorted unable to think of anything that made her deserve the 'good room'.

"I was only kidding; goodness you're all so riled up. Here, I have a room for each of you." He smiled and led them to their rooms to get settled in.

-:- The next morning -:-

He concentrated hard on the dummy in front of him as he repeatedly kicked and punched it sending it flying backwards each time. Sweat poured down his face as he wiped it away and stopped for a minute. He let out an exasperated sigh as he walked over grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his face and heard something. He averted his eyes to the door he was next to and saw a tall figure step out, turn and quietly close the door behind her and sigh.

She turned and their eyes connected and she jumped and covered her mouth before she would scream while he gave her a confused look.

"Wh-What are you doing up? It's like five thirty in the morning?" She whispered and looked to see him wearing his black keikogi and her mouth turned into a perfect 'O'. He tsked and looked the other way.

"You're the one I should be asking that." He spoke and then also noticed she was wearing a white keikogi but she seemed not to take much care to what he said because she had already began to stretch.

"Well, since Hatori-san deemed me safe to do as I pleased and since my wounds were healed, I figured that I needed to brush up and train a bit. It's been a while, about two weeks almost. Man I'm really slacking off." She whined and turned so that her shoulder was horizontal to the wall and leaned onto it so it would stretch her arm muscles.

"Oh…" He spoke softly and sat on the edge of the wooden porch and drank some of his water.

"Do you train a lot?" He heard her ask and looked to see her now stretching her calves as she balanced on one leg.

"As much as I can. I would go to shishou's dojo, but it's too early." He spoke and then suddenly she was next to him her gleaming face inches away from his.

"You have a shishou! And-and train regularly at a dojo!? Can you take me!?" She asked down on all fours her eyes bright and full of determination. He was amazed at her enthusiasm, he had thought that she might have just been a wannabe marital artist and had only been to a dojo once in her life, but it seemed as if this _was_ her life. He smirked and backed away from her feeling as though they were too close.

"I guess I could ask him if he'd like to see you, but don't get your hopes up or anything, he's kind of picky about his students." He replied and watched her jump up happily and punched the air.

"Yes! Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for something that sounds that perfect!? I need a sensei that is serious about what he does!" She shouted happily and he smirked and watched almost sure that her happiness was radiating off of her.

"When do we get to go?" She asked as she plopped down next to him on the ledge of the porch as he placed the towel around his shoulders.

"I'm going a few days after school starts. It's always good to go on those days since you just sit around and do nothing all day." He spoke and she nodded and jumped off the porch and looked around at some the things that he had set up. She saw a poor dummy that looked as if it had been beaten one too many times and smiled at it.

She turned behind her to see him standing up and smiled.

"Do you still want that offer for the sparring match? I've been looking forward to it for a while now." She smiled and watched his head turn and his smile of confidence was almost blinding.

"If that's what you want." He grinned and she walked forwards watching him closely waiting for him to make the move, that's how she had always worked. She was taught Aikido by her father which used instead of 'force to force' used 'timing to force' it was all about using your opponents strength against them, and using yours at the precise moment.

In a flash he had disappeared and she almost didn't dodge his punch that came flying at her. She quickly flipped backwards away from him to see him smirking.

"_He's fast!"_ She thought with a smirk and then decided to go ahead and charge at him and give him a little taste of what she knew. He smirked as he watched her and then suddenly she was right next to him, her face inches from his.

"You're a bit slow." She spoke with a smile and watched his face get red and he tried to kick her but she grabbed it and wouldn't let go. He pulled his fist back and she quickly let go to block the punch. She in turn, before he could realize it, kicked his legs out from under him and watched as he fell to the ground. She smirked and pulled her fist back and punched the ground… Wait? Her head snapped up, her eyes wide. She quickly turned around looking for him, but she couldn't find him. She felt her heart begin to race with panic when she remembered what a wise person had once taught her.

She took a deep breathe and closed her eyes and didn't move. He looked down at her confusedly.

"_What the Hell is she doing!?... A-Are her eyes closed!?" _He thought from up in the tree above her and then soundlessly jumped down and smirked.

"_What an idiot, does she really think that's going to work?"_ He thought and noiselessly charged at her. He pulled his fist back and as it was about two inches from her face when her hand flew up and caught it, her eyes menacing and his shocked.

"Neat trick, eh?" She asked and then suddenly he watched her eyes grow wide and tears come to her eyes.

He looked at her confusedly and then watched as a spider drifted down from its silken trail right in between them, it was so close to her that when she was looking at it her eyes were crossed and her face grew a pale blue.

"Um…" He started and then the wind blew so that it landed in her hair and he grimaced and watched her body shake.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed that sounded like it lasted for five minutes. He opened his eyes to see her jumping around in a very comical way and flailing her arms in the air screaming.

"Getiitout!Getitout!Getitout!Getitout!Getiout!**GETITOUT**!" She literally cried and he sighed as he grabbed a hold of her squirming body and held her still and quickly picked the arachnid out of her hair and she stared at him, her teary green eyes full of shock. She looked up at him, his cheeks slightly red as were hers and she felt him let go of her shoulders and she wiped her tears away and looked the other way.

"S-sorry…" She spoke, her voice full of shame that she had just ruined a perfectly good match with her girly-ness.

"Ahh, it doesn't matter, besides if you fight like that when you meet Shishou, we'll have plenty of other times to spar." He spoke and began walking away and she smiled like the Devil himself.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed as dramatically as Ayame would and put her hand over her mouth.

"Is it true!? Did _the_ Sohma Kyou give _me _a compliment?!" She shouted and he walked faster as she ran after him.

"No! No! Come back Kyou-kun! Honor me with more of your compliments!" She shouted laughingly sounding more and more like Ayame every minute and rushed after him.

"I'll honor you with a black eye if you keep it up, Kino!" He shouted and she couldn't help but laugh at his prepubescent ways.

"And it's already started." He spoke from the window and watched the girl run up to the boy and sit next to him, speaking to him very animatedly as he watched her talk and laugh.

"Now, time to go back to sleep… I'm still so tired…" Shigure whined and flopped back on his bed which was covered with things that wouldn't even normally be found in a bedroom.

-:- Back to the old grind -:-

"How could they buy that crap that we were all her adoptive children!? And does she have any idea how long I've been going to my school!? I was highly respected and people had_ learned_ to leave me alone! Now I have to start all over again!" Rei screeched as the group that now lived together walked to their first day back at school.

"_You're_ complaining!? Look at what I'm **wearing**! At least your freaking clothes fit! They never believe me when I say, I'm too damn tall!" Makoto screamed trying to pull her short skirt down even further.

"I feel like a whore!" She cried and Tohru patted her back.

"It's alright, Mako-chan! Maybe if you ask Ayame-san nicely he'll lengthen it!" Tohru smiled and Yuki and Kyou both pictured it now, Makoto with an even shorter skirt.

"Don't try it, Kino-san… don't even mention it to him." Yuki spoke and she hung her head in sadness.

"I like my outfit. I think it's cute!" Hotaru exclaimed and Rei and Mako glared at her.

"Wh-what? Just 'cause you're not happy doesn't mean I can't be…" She murmured and then she looked up to see a bunch of girls glaring at them and eeped.

"Uh-..Um… H-hey guys, why are we getting glared at with a killing intent." She asked and moved between Tohru and Yuki so that she might be shielded from the deathly rays.

"That damn rat's fan club, no doubt… Jealous bitches." Kyou growled and the three new girls' heads snapped over at Yuki who looked as if he was going to kill Kyou.

"Y-you have a… A fan club!?" Makoto asked snickering as was Rei.

"That's a knee slapper!" Rei shouted as she and Makoto belted out hearty laughs as they walked to the school.

"Don't be so mean! It's not Yuki-kun's fault! Besides if I remember correctly, you guys were in Taiki's fan club when they went to your school Mako-chan." Hotaru replied and the girls froze with blushes.

"Hey! That was forever ago! We're over them!" Makoto yelled.

"Yeah, really! And who's side are you on, anyway!?" Rei shouted at the smaller girl and she blushed.

"Oh, well… I didn't know I had to pick…" She replied and they sweatdropped and they turned to enter the schoolyard.

"Oh! I can't wait for you all to meet Hana-chan and Uo-chan! They'll be so happy to meet you! Especially you, Mako-chan! I've told them so much about you!" Tohru shouted happily and the three girls smiled at her kindly.

"We're excited to meet them too, Tohru-chan!" Hotaru shouted happily and walked with them into the school, still receiving death glares and even a few catcalls from boys.

"_This day's gonna suck, I can feel it."_ Makoto and Rei both thought at the same time.

-:-

Hotaru looked around her feeling a bit out of place seeing as she was a year younger than her friends and was on her own and this was when she crawled back into her shell. Although if in a new school like this, she really didn't mind it if people left her be. This was study hall so she figured this would be the opportune moment for someone so try to dig their claws into her. She felt like a little white bunny rabbit just sitting in front of the wolves like she was saying, come and eat me, please? But it was too bad for her that she didn't know any other way to look.

She sighed as she sat her things down and took a window seat enjoying the view. She soon became lost in her thoughts thinking of her dreams that kept recurring. She still couldn't understand them, but she didn't want to burden the friends with her problems because she felt as if they had enough on their plates right now.

"Hey, look at the new girl… She's kinda weird looking... I mean look at her eyes and that hair. I bet she wears contacts and dyes her hair purple to match." She heard a girl muse and she lowered her eyes to the floor pretending as if she hadn't heard it.

"_I haven't even spoken and they're making fun of me…"_ She thought sadly.

"I think she's cute, I'm gonna go and talk to her. Maybe she's easy, you know." The boy spoke with a cynical laugh and she heard his footsteps coming over to her and suddenly he was sitting on her desk.

"Hey there, new girl. You got a name?" He asked and she flickered her eyes up to him without any emotion.

"Yes, I suppose I do." She spoke quietly and turned to look out the window once more.

"Well, are you gonna tell me?" He asked not liking that she thought she could so easily brush him off.

"I don't really see why I should, unless you would like me to be 'easy' as you call it." She spoke and he gripped the desk.

"What are you deaf, blind and stupid!? Can't you even hear me, idiot!?" He screamed angrily and she winced at the sound of his voice.

"_This isn't good! I can't be tough like Mako-chan and Rei-chan! I should have just been me and not said anything!"_ She cried in her thoughts and looked up at him pleadingly.

"Do you have any damn manners, or are **you** deaf, blind and stupid?" She heard a voice growl and snapped her head in the direction of the voice to see a boy with white and black hair and she almost fainted.

It was him! It was the boy of her dreams… And the boy in her dreams! Her mouth fell open as she watched the boy that was on her desk stand up angrily.

"This has nothing to do with you, so why don't you go back and-" Suddenly the boy was holding his collar and brought his fearful face close to his.

"Go do what? Go turn around and let you make yourself look like an ass to this girl who isn't even interested in looking at you shit ass face?" He asked angrily and the boy tried to pull his grip off of his collar angrily.

"Fine you idiot! You can have her! She's not worth it anyway!" He shouted and stomped off and she lowered her eyes sadly to the ground and gulped when she felt the sting of tears.

She wasn't worth it… he was right… She closed her eyes and felt a soft hand under her chin and she was forced to look up, with tears in her eyes and blushed seeing the boy looking down at her concerned.

"Did he hurt you? You're crying." He spoke softly and she ripped her chin out of his grasp and looked away not wanting him to see her cry.

"_Damn, that was close… I almost turned…"_ He thought as he looked at the girl with sympathetic eyes.

"N-no, I-…I'm fine… You didn't have to do that for me." She spoke softly as she wiped her tears away and looked back to see him smiling at her.

"Would you have been able to take care of it then?" He asked with a smile and she smiled back and shook her head.

"Heh n-no, I wouldn't have done anything actually." She spoke softly and sniffed and then she held out her hand and smiled as best as she could.

"Thank you though, my name is Tomoe Hotaru. It's nice to meet you." She smiled and he smiled back and took her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Tomoe Hotaru I'm Sohma Hatsuharu." He smiled and watched her eyes widen and he sighed.

"Yes, if you're going to ask I _am_ related to Sohma Yuki, I'm his younger cousin. You're new and you're already his fangirl?" He asked and she blushed and looked away.

"N-no! That's not it! Well… I was going to ask if you were related to Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun, but it's because I like them... I-I mean I like them, but not like them like them and- I'm sorry I'll stop now." She spoke embarrassedly and put her head in her hand blushing.

"That's alright; it's nice to have a real conversation with someone that's not always about idiotic things." He spoke with a smile and she looked up confusedly about to ask what he meant and a honey eyed boy with hair to match popped out of nowhere with a lollipop in his mouth, making her jump.

"Oh! Haru! How did you meet such a pretty girl!?" The boy asked and she was taken aback by his forwardness.

"I helped her." Haru replied calmly and the blonde grabbed her hand and shook it hard.

"Hello! I'm Sohma Momiji! What's your name!?" He asked and she thought she was going to faint! She was meeting two more Sohmas! And one of them happened to be the one she'd been dreaming of! These Sohmas were becoming too coincidental for her liking.

"T-Tomoe Hotaru, it's nice to meet you, Momiji-san." She replied shakily since he was still jerking her hand up and down.

"Momiji, I think you should stop unless you want her arm as a prize." Haru berated the boy and he looked over to see Hotaru looking at him pleadingly.

"Oh! Sorry, Hotaru!" He laughed and she smiled kindly at him, she wasn't sure if she should bring up the fact about them living with the other Sohmas or not, so she left that to talk to Yuki about at lunch.

"So, where are you from Hotaru?" Momiji asked as he sat down, gnawing on his lollipop.

"Oh, Tokyo, Juuban." She smiled and he thought about it.

"I've never heard of it." He replied and she sweatdropped.

"Why did you come here?" Haru asked and she stiffened nervously.

"Uh-um… Well, I came here for my friend, she came to visit and one thing led to another and now I'm here, hehehe." She laughed nervously and blushed looking the other way.

Haru opened his mouth to ask her something, but was interrupted by the bell ringing.

"Oh, I guess that means it's lunchtime." Hotaru whispered and began gathering her things.

She stood up and smiled at them kindly.

"I can't thank you enough, Hastuharu-san. Maybe we'll have another class together." She smiled and walked out of the room.

"I like her!" Momiji declared happily and hopped around Haru.

"Don't you like her too, Haru!?" Momiji shouted happily, but he was deep in thought knowing that this 'Hotaru' girl was the girl that he kept dreaming about.

Hotaru walked out of the room and let out a large sigh and looked around seeing a bunch of different people walking by, but none of them were people that she knew.

She walked to her locker and grabbed her lunch that Tohru and Makoto had prepared for everyone and grabbed the books for her next class.

She turned and began walking and someone knocked her books out of her hands, making them scatter across the hall, but no one seemed to care as she tried to stop them from stepping on them.

"Oh, um, please don't step- Um, excuse me- please don't step on those… Hey, could you please-" She stuttered every time someone trampled over them and suddenly she looked up to see Yuki's face next to hers.

"Here you are, Hotaru-san. You should be more careful." He smiled and she smiled back as he quickly gathered her books seeing as everyone moved out of his way and then handed them to the younger girl.

"Oh, thank you Yuki-kun. I'm sorry you had to do that." She spoke softly with a smile and he smiled back.

"That's alright, Hotaru-san. Come; let's go find your friends." He smiled again and she looked to see the girls glaring at her.

"He called her Hotaru-san! And who does she think she is being so close to him and calling him Yuki-kun!?"

"Really! She's only a first year for God's sake!" She heard similar ranting all the way down the halls until she spotted Rei and Makoto who were being swarmed by men.

"Please, Rei-san, Makoto-san take me on one date!?" Many shouts were heard and Makoto turned around and kicked the last person that said that.

"How many damn times will we tell you!? No!" She screamed, but it didn't do much good.

This was the first time in her life that she never wanted to see a male again and then she caught sight of Kyou and her eyes lit up. Okay scratch that, she wanted to see that one male.

"See you Rei-chan, good luck with that!" She yelled and took off to Kyou and the miko looked as if she was going to die and turned to see the men ogling at her and she took off after Makoto.

"Makoto! You traitor!" She screamed and rushed after the brunette.

"So where is this Mako-chan that you said was here, Tohru?" Arisa asked as she, Tohru and Saki walked down the halls.

"Well she- Oh! There she is and there's Rei-san as well! Hey, Mako-chan- U-Um…" She stopped waving as she watched her run to Kyou and cling to his arm.

"S-She's going out with Kyon-kyon?" Arisa asked not able to hold back a laugh.

"Um… Not that I'm aware of…" Tohru replied confusedly.

"Kyou!" Makoto shouted and watched the boy turn around and look at her and his eyes widened and watched as she ran to him and latched onto his arm and looked up with hearts in her eyes.

"Oh! Kyou-kun! I've been so lonely without you! I love you so much!" She cried dramatically and peeked at the men now looking confusedly at her.

"What the Hell are-" Kyous' scream was cut off by her slapping her hand over his mouth.

"Oh, there's no need to shout, Kyou-kun! Here let me tell you a secret!" She spoke in a sickeningly bubbly voice and pulled him by the collar of his shirt to her mouth so that she was right next to his ear.

"**If you don't play along, I will rip you damned arms off. Do not heed my warning."** She spoke in a tone that he thought maybe a Grim Reaper would only speak in and she pulled away smiling sweetly.

"Okay!?" She spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice a smile plastered on her lips.

"Come on, Kyou-kun! Let's walk to lunch together." She smiled and pulled him along like a doll and smirked as she watched the men slowly leaving with heavy hearts and once they were all gone she let go of his arm and began laughing menacingly.

"Hahahahaha! You're all so stupid and gullible! I win!" She screamed and watched as Rei stomped over to her angrily.

"You left me? **You left me!?** You're my shield!" The miko screamed and she backed up into Kyou who wasn't at all happy with her either.

"Hey, it's a dog-eat-dog world here! Sorry!" She replied and then heard a voice she knew all too well.

"Mako-chan! Rei-chan! What's going on!?" Hotaru shouted as she ran over, Yuki in toe with her.

"Well, Taru… It's a long and… unfortunate story, but I'll tell you at lunch, come on I'm starving!" Makoto raved and turned to see Kyou looking at her, his eye twitching.

"I'm going to kill you." He growled and she laughed as she walked past him.

"Yes, yes, you did well." She waved her hand and watched to see Tohru running towards them.

"Mako-chan! How are you!? And… what's going on?" Tohru asked and Makoto growled.

"I'll tell you at lunch, come on I'm hungry!" She cried and then looked to see two girls next to her and she then realized who they were.

"Oh! You must be Hanajima-san and Uotani-san!" She cried happily, forgetting her dieing hunger as she hopped over to them.

"Yes, it's nice to finally meet the Mako-chan." Hanajima smiled kindly and Makoto returned the favor.

"It's nice to finally meet you two too!" She cried happily.

"Hi! I'm Tomoe Hotaru! It's nice to meet you!" Hotaru spoke happily and they smiled down at her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Tomoe-san." They replied.

"Okay, can we all say our hi's and hellos at lunch!? I'm so hungry!" Rei cried.

-:- Lunch -:-

"So you're staying with them too?" Arisa asked and the three girls nodded their heads.

"Unfortunatly." Rei spoke.

"I suppose." Makoto answered.

"It's so fun!" Hotaru cried happily and the two older girls looked at her curiously.

"Wh-what?" She asked and they sweatdropped.

"Too much Chibi-Usa." Rei concluded and Makoto nodded in agreement.

"Oh! Right! Yuki-kun! Kyou-kun!" Hotaru cried and turned to face the two quiet boys and they looked up.

"Yes, Hotaru-san?" Yuki asked looking at her as she smiled.

"What is it now, squirt?" Kyou asked and she pondered the name since she was only a year younger than him.

"_Males and their dominance issues…"_ She concluded in her thoughts.

"I'm not a five year old…" She grumbled and then turned to Yuki.

"You'll never believe it! I met two other-"

"Oh! Haru! Look! That's her! It's Makoto and Tohru!" She heard a voice call and they looked to see Haru walk over calmly and Momiji running over to Makoto and Tohru happily.

"Makoto! Tohru! I've missed you!" He cried happily.

"Momiji-kun!" The two girls cried happily and he skidded to the ground in between the two.

"How have you two been? Have you missed me?" He asked smiling and they looked at him happily.

"Oh course, by what are you doing here Momiji-kun?" Makoto asked and he looked at her happily.

"Oh! Haru and I are in a grade lower than you guys! We go here too now!" He shouted happily and Makoto looked at him like he was crazy.

"No way in Hell is that kid fifteen!" Rei cried as she leaned forward looking at him astonished and he smiled.

"Oh! More pretty girls!" He smiled happily at the miko.

"Hey Yuki." Haru spoke and sat next to the purple eyed boy.

"Hello, Haru." Yuki replied and turned back to Hotaru.

"Now, what were you saying Hotaru-san?..." He asked to see Hotaru her staring at Haru with her mouth hanging open.

"H-hello again, Hatsuharu-san." She spoke quietly and Yuki almost spit his drink out.

"A-again?" He asked and saw Haru look over with a stunned expression.

"Oh… Hotaru… Um,… well this is strange, why are you with Yuki and Kyou?" He asked and she blushed and looked to Yuki as he sighed.

"Hn?... Hotaru?" She heard Momiji ask and looked behind her to see the boy right behind her and he smiled at her.

"Wow! All of you know each other!?" Momiji asked and Hotaru smiled.

"Mako-chan, Rei-chan are the friends I was telling you about." She smiled and he smiled back and stood up.

"Great! Now Gure-Nii has to let me come over more often!" He commanded and Kyou tsked.

"Not on my life." He grumbled.

"So… Wait." Haru shouted looking at the three new girls.

"You're the ones staying with sensei?" He asked and the girls nodded their heads like it was obvious that that little detail had already been established.

"Wow… How ironic…" He spoke thinking of his dreams of the purple eyed girl once more.

-:-

Hotaru sighed happily once she had heard the bell signaling that they could go home. She quickly gathered her things and started to make her way out of the room when she felt someone grab her upper arm. She froze and turned around to see it was Haru and relaxed.

"Oh! It's you, Hatsuharu-san. Do you need something?" She asked in a bit of a hurry to scurry back to her friends, not wanting to deal with the menacing people that she had come in contact with that day.

"Are you heading straight back to sensei's house?" He asked and she gave him a confused look and then realized that he must have meant Shigure.

"Oh, you mean Shigure-san don't you? Yeah, I was going to go catch up with everyone. Yuki-kun said to meet everyone outside the school's gate." She replied as they walked out of the classroom together and to her locker.

"Do you mind if I join you all?" He asked and she turned and shut the door with a smile.

"Of course not. We should probably hurry though; Rei-chan is probably getting attacked by guys still." She spoke in sadness for her friend who had no fake boyfriend to use as a cover-up. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him along the hallways quickly thinking nothing of doing so and until they reached outside, and until then she hadn't noticed how many more glares she was receiving and quickly let go of him.

"That's just my luck…" He heard her grumble sadly and couldn't help but smirk at the girl who seemed to keep messing up with everything that she did.

-:-

Makoto stood by the door waiting to see Kyou walk by so she could attach herself once more to his hip and grumbled at all that she was having to go through in this new school. But then again, she shouldn't have felt back for herself seeing as Rei didn't even have someone to protect her.

"Are you going to stand there all day and gawk or are we going to leave?" She heard a voice growl and she looked up to see Kyou standing there, a glazed look in his eyes and she sighed with a smile.

"Let's go find the others." She smiled and walked next to him.

"Man, Kyou you're so lucky." She heard a boy say from behind and he clenched his fist and she couldn't help but giggle at how shy he was.

"I'm the lucky one!" She cried dramatically enjoying every time he shivered with anger.

"You're abusing this, I could so easily leave you here to-" She cut him off by playfully punching his arm.

"You can't be that mean to a girl, can you?" She laughed and grabbed his arm to further the act and felt him stiffen.

"You sure don't like people touching you, do you?" She asked and he looked at her incredulously with a blush.

"Would _you_ like some guy hanging on _your_ arm all the time?" He growled and she shrugged with a blush.

"If I liked him enough, I wouldn't mind it…" She replied and looked in the opposite direction as did he, both not believing she had just said that.

"L-look, there's Hota-chan and Hastuharu-san… Holding… hands?" She asked and felt the Haruka part of her coming out to pay the two-tone haired man a visit.

"Hey!" She screeched and took off leaving Kyou confused.

"What do you think you're-… Doing…" She asked as she caught up to the two and blushed seeing that Hotaru hadn't been holding his hand, but pulling him along by his wrist.

"Mako-chan?" Hotaru asked confusedly as the two turned to look at her and she blushed and scratched the back of her head nervously.

"Hehehe, um… Nothing, I just jumped the gun, that's all." She replied and walked next to the girl and stopped to wait for Kyou once more. Hotaru saw this and stopped as well with a smirk.

Makoto looked down at her quickly to see her with an all-knowing smirk and looked away hoping she would stop. She flickered her eyes once more to the smaller girl and began to blush a deep red.

"W-what!?" She cried and Hotaru picked up the ends of her purple tinted her and smirked.

"Oh nothing, just that you seemed to be getting quite attached to Kyou-kun, that's all." She spoke and Haru watched as Makoto stiffened and looked down at the younger girl.

"Wh-what?... Why would you-… How could you say that I cared about that ass!?" She screeched and crossed her arms under and chest with a blush.

"You guys were awfully loud the morning you were training." She spoke and Makoto looked at her with wide eyes her whole body now red.

"Wh-what are you saying!?" She screamed and Hotaru shrugged as Haru looked at her with a grin.

"What the Hell are you shouting about?" Kyou growled as he walked next to her and she froze.

"**I hate you!"** She screamed and stomped off over to the school gates leaving him with a confused look.

"Well fine! I hope you get mobbed by your damned annoying fans, you ungrateful bitch!" He yelled after her, expecting her to turn around and hit him but she just kept walking.

"You didn't have to be so rude and loud, Kyou." Haru spoke as he put his hands behind his head.

"You shut up! What's her problem anyway!?" He growled to Hotaru and she laughed looking where the brunette once was.

"Oh, she gets like that when she's flustered. Don't think anything of it; it's not your fault… Okay maybe it is, but it was indirect." She replied as they began walking.

"Just be quiet…" He grumbled and she couldn't help but smile at the also flustered boy.

-:- Friday after school -:-

"Are you sure that this is alright with him?" She asked skeptically to the orange haired boy as he growled.

"If you keep asking dumb questions like that we're just not going to go!" He seethed and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay daddy, this is where you say 'if you don't stop talking to me like that I'm going to turn this car around'!" She mused with a smirk as she walked next to him, pulling the strap to her bag over her shoulder that had her keikogi in it.

"Seriously, Kyou. Chill out, you've been acting weird all day." She commented calmly and he didn't reply as they walked on their way to Kazuma's dojo.

He lowered his eyes to the ground thinking of what she had said and she was right. He had been acting strangely, but that was because of what he had dreamt last night. He had dreamt about her and he knew it was her. She had the same curly brown hair in a ponytail, green eyes and even her rose earrings and hair tie! But he was with her and they only looked to be about seven. That was all that he remembered but all he knew was that, he felt something in his stomach that made him sick whenever he thought of how happy she was… It felt like guilt.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of something beeping and looked to see Makoto's eyes wide and she shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small wristwatch and flipped it open to see Sailor Mars's tired face.

"I'm sorry, Makoto we thought that we could handle this thing on our own so you could go to train… But this thing… We don't how to take care-"

"Shut up! Just hold on!" Makoto shouted and flipped the lid down and shoved the watch back in her pants and hurriedly turned to Kyou.

"I'm sorry. Tell him that I'm sorry! Don't follow me! If you do…" She stopped for a minute and looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"If you do, I'll never forgive you!" She shouted and took off and his mouth was hanging open. He had never seen her act this serious before, she-….

"She's worried about them dieing." He spoke aloud while growling and looked to see that she was no longer in sight.

"Damn it you stupid girl!" He shouted and took off running after her.

Happy gray eyes watched the boy run off, a smile on his lips.

"This is how it should be." He spoke softly and turned and walked away.

-:-

Sailor Jupiter ran as fast as she could towards the negative energy that she sensed seeing as she could no longer find her Senshi by their power, which made her fearful of their lives.

She skidded around a corner of an alley to see Mars standing in front of a falling Saturn trying to protect her from a lizard like monster. The monster kept lashing its tongue out at the Senshi and it seemed to cut her and then numb parts of her body.

"You can't hold out much longer Mars-hime, and when you do I'll take you and Saturn-hime with me." It cackled and Rei couldn't even make a comeback seeing as she was taking this time to catch her breath.

"Mars Flam Snip-Ah!" She screamed as it wrapped its tongue around her neck and she gasped for breath trying to claw its tongue off of her neck.

"And now, you die- oaf!" It shouted as lightning slammed into its head making it drop Mars and it turned to see Makoto standing in a sighting position, lightning sparking around her body and her face in a twisted snarl.

"You want a fair fight, you fight me you bastard!" She screamed and ran for it, lightning trailing behind her form and she dodged its tongue every time it lashed it towards her.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She screamed and quickly threw it at the thing, but it dodged the attack and smirked.

"You missed Jupiter-hime you-Ah!" It screamed as it felt her lightning covered fist slam into its gut and she ripped it out, green goop dripping out and covered her arm up to her shoulder.

She sneered evilly.

"You're so predictable, you bastard and now I'm going to kill you." She screamed and watched it smirk down at her.

"You're so naive Jupiter-hime; master said you would be reckless." It smirked and her eyes widened and then she realized what it was talking about.

She quickly jumped back away from it, distancing herself and then looked down at her arm in fear.

"_I-I can't move it! I can't move my arm!" _She thought worriedly and she must have shown it on her face because she heard the lizard demon cackle.

"You're scared, how nice." It laughed and she grimaced.

"_I should have known this was bad if this thing could take Mars and Saturn both down… I-… I don't think I can do this."_ She thought looking at the demon and then she felt her body collapse to the ground.

"Ahn…" She gasped worriedly and looked at her body, trying to stand but she couldn't and then that's when she realized what was going on.

No matter what she touched of him, it made her body numb!

"I see you've figured it out then. Once my saliva or anything from inside my body touches you, it takes over and numbs your whole body. And if it enters your body then the poison will kill you, even from the smallest cut." It cackled and she looked over at the two girls her eyes wide and full of tears.

"No… No! Wake up! **Wake up!"** She screamed and tried to move her body and managed to stand.

"Jupiter… Thunder Dragon!!" She screamed and looked up feeling the lightning shooting through her body giving her a rush and watched as the lightning consumed the lizard and smirked.

She held her cut arm and watched to see what the damage had caused and smirked once the dust cleared to see nothing.

"Thank God…" She whispered quietly and let her body somewhat relax.

"Again hime, you're so naive! And my, my your awfully pretty up close." She froze at the sound of its voice from behind her and whipped around seeing it towering over her.

"No…" She whispered and tried to move backwards but couldn't.

"And now, let's see that pretty Sailor Crystal of yours." It smiled and all she could do was stand and watch as its tongue slowly came towards her neck and she tried to move her neck away but couldn't. She felt tears come to her eyes and quickly shut them.

"Please forgive me you guys." She whispered and felt her tears fall down her cheeks.

"You better get the Hell away from her!" She heard a scream and opened her eyes to see Kyou kick the demons head, making a horrible snapping sound as it fell to the ground and he pulled her away while half dragging her since he couldn't embrace her and save her at the same time.

She kicked and tried to get out of his grasp.

"No! I told you! I told you to not come! Why are you so damn stupid!?" She cried tears falling from her eyes and he didn't even acknowledge her shouting. He placed her behind him and turned to face the demon and watched it stand.

"What the Hell is that thing?" He growled and she gasped trying to move.

"A- a Youma… I've never fought anything like this before… I don't know how to go about killing it, all I know is that if you get hit by its tongue or if its insides touch you, you go numb and if it enters your body, it poisons you." She replied gasping for air and his head snapped back at her and for a split second she saw complete worry etched across his face. He growled and looked back at it.

"Heh, how ironic that you all show up to help each other! To have the cat's container show up and help you Jupiter-hime! Master will be so pleased, only a little work left after I take you all back!" It cackled and her eyes widened as did Kyous' when it mentioned the cat.

"What the Hell do you know about the cat's spirit!?" Kyou screamed angrily and it laughed.

"Master knows everything about the cat spirit as well as the ox and the dragon. Master will be so happy with me. Now come here kitty, kitty!" It called and Makoto watched in fear as he charged at the monster.

"K-Kyou…" She cried softly and tried to move.

"_I-… I can't move! Please don't die!"_ She thought and tears fell as she gripped the ground trying to stand and looked over at Rei and Hotaru.

"Rei… Hotaru… Please don't die. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." She cried softly and looked up upon hearing Kyou grunt in pain.

She watched him fly backwards but catch himself before he fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Why don't you give up little, kitty? They'll die if you keep fighting like this. But then again you can't even pick them up to save them now can you!? Hahahaha!" It laughed and she watched as Kyou's angry eyes scanned over to Rei, Hotaru and then herself, their eyes connecting for a brief second and she knew what he was thinking.

"He's not going to give up…" She whispered and watched as the demon turned to his battered body and lashed its tongue out at him and he lifted his wrist up, the slimy tongue wrapping around it then swung him in the air and into the ground.

"Kyou!" She shouted tears falling from her eyes.

"Listen to that, the hime is worried about you. What are you going to do little kitty?" He asked and Kyou looked up breathing hard and tried to stand but fell down.

"Hehehe and now for the final blow." He watched the lizard smirk and its tongue heading for his neck but he didn't feel anything.

"Wh-why are you-… So stupid?" His eyes snapped open to see her leaning over his body, her hands clenched next to his shoulders and tears falling on to his cheeks and he saw the lizards tongue was around her waist and it pulled away and he watched as the fabric on her fuku became burned away and slowly burned into her skin.

"Makoto… You're the idiot." He spoke looking at her as she smirked down at him, more tears falling on to his cheeks.

"Ahh, the Senshi of Protection, Loyalty and Determination you really do fit your stature little hime. And it's just like a Princess to protect her Prince. I always hated that romantic shit!" The lizard cried angrily and Kyou watched as it lashed its tongue out against her back repeatedly and each time her body shook with pain and her tears splattered because she would shut her eyes so quickly.

"Makoto! Just stop! Move! I'll handle it you damned idiot! Stop trying to be a hero!" Kyou screamed and she opened her eyes tears still falling and she smiled down at him, her face only half a foot away from his.

"But… I want to protect you, Kyou…" She smiled to see his expression shocked and she then cried out in pain as the tongue lashed against her now raw back once more.

He had heard those words before, he knew it! He had spoken them once before…

"_Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! If I could just push her off!" _ He screamed in his thoughts as he tried to move his hand up to throw her off.

"You'll have to give up sometime Jupiter-hime!" It cried and she screamed as it's tongue wrapped around her neck and she struggled to pull it off of her as it was burning into her flesh and she tried to pull it off it burnt her hands.

"Stop!" Kyou screamed and was finally able to move his hands and pulled her to him and bit the tongue.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" The demon screamed out in pain and Kyou spit out what goop was in his mouth, trying to ignore the burning flesh taste and looked to see Makoto's body falling forward, tears still streaming down her face.

"Please… Don't die." He heard her whisper as his body shook and he looked up at the demon then somehow managed to stand, his head bent down.

"Oh, so now you're angry since I've hurt your hime, little kitty?" It laughed and Kyous' eyes shot over to Hotaru.

"_Hey Kyou-kun! Come and play with me! Let's go do something fun together!"_ He heard the younger girls' voice shout.

He then looked to Rei's nonmoving form.

"_You're not so bad when you act nice. I could get used to that Kyon-Kyon." _The fire Senshi smiled in his mind.

And then his eyes darted to Makoto's body.

"_But… I want to protect you, Kyou…" _He heard her say in his thoughts and clenched his fists at his side.

"I will never forgive you… You've hurt them and they've done nothing to deserve that. You're lucky you bastard, you'll be the first I'll ever fight in this form." Kyou growled and looked up menacingly and held out his arm with the Juzu beads and brought his other arm out and threw them off, his body transforming into the cat demon.

"I will kill you for hurting them!" He screamed and ran towards the demon who looked absolutly terrified.

"Master! Master, you said he wouldn't do that! You said he wouldn't release the cat!" It screamed and watched as he brought his arm back and dug his claws viciously into his flesh and soon enough the lizard fell to the ground.

"I will not be the last, cat demon… We will have- Ah!" It shouted as Kyou slashed its head off and watched its body disappear. He lowered his head, looking back at the girls' bodies and felt himself slowly changing back to his human form. He walked over and picked up the beads, placing them back on his arm.

"I don't want any of you to ever see me like that…" He whispered and walked over to Mars and Saturn and sat them up so that they were at least in a comfortable position. He looked around at the alley, happy to see that no one was around at this time. Looked at the two Senshi's wounds and gave a disheartened look. He looked at Hotaru's cheek to see that its tongue had hit it and burned her soft alabaster skin. He brushed his thumb over it in sadness feeling that if he had gotten there earlier he might have been able to protect them too.

He then looked over at Rei who seemed to look worse than the smaller girl and he thought that she probably jumped in front of the attacks that were meant for her. He saw that she had multiple slashes up and down her arms and he tried to move her to a more comfortable position without touching her wounds and then he stood and quickly made his way over to Makoto.

He looked down at her and snarled trying to bite back tears once he saw how horribly graphic her back was lashed. She was laying face down, the back of her fuku completely slashed apart when she was hit numerous times. He could see where the blood was seeping from the wounds and he dropped to his knees and flipped her body over.

As he was getting ready to try and pick her up when he heard her speak.

"K-Kyou…" She cried and he looked up at her face to see tears pouring from her eyes.

"Makoto… I-it's fine, I've got everything under-" He watched as she leaned up even though he knew it had to be incredibly painful and embraced him as she cried.

"Kyou!" She cried and he couldn't move. His eyes were wide, she was hugging him and he was still human.

"Please tell me…" She stopped and gasped for breath and he knew she had to have been delusional from blood loss.

He watched her look up at him, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Please tell me you're all okay…" She cried and he smiled down at her and looked over at the girls.

"I think we'll… Be alright. I'm gonna take you home now and-" He felt her body slump against his.

"I'm… Glad…" She whispered and he still couldn't believe he was holding this girl in his arms.

He picked her up trying to place his hands so that they weren't on her wounds and turned to face the other girls and then his eye was caught by someone walking past the alley, not even paying attention to them.

"How could you possible get lost like this?" He asked to the boy as he shrugged.

"I can't believe the irony of you finding me… Where did you say your car was again?" The two-tone haired boy asked the green eyed man.

Kyous' body shook with adrenaline.

"Haru! Hatori!" He screamed and they snapped their heads in his direction and saw him holding the unconscious Jupiter in his arms.

"K-Kyou… Is… Is that Makoto!?" Hatori shouted urgently and was next to him in a second.

"What the Hell happened!?" He screamed angrily looking down at the girl who looked to be on the edge of death.

Haru caught sight of the two other girls and his eyes widened.

"Hotaru?..." He asked and walked over to her and dropped to his knees and grabbed her shoulders and brushed the hair away from her battered face.

"What the Hell…" He whispered and looked to Kyou and then it dawned on him.

"How are you holding her!?" He shouted and Kyou shook his head.

"I don't understand it either, just pick them up even if you turn or not!" He shouted and Hatori looked to see what Kyou was talking about 'them' and his eyes widened.

"Rei…" He whispered.

"Kyou, take her to my car, it's down the street, now!" He shouted and ran over to Rei and brought his hands nervously to her arms and stopped short of them seeing all of the cuts and growled at seeing her in such a pitiful state.

"How the Hell is this happening?" He heard Haru ask and looked to see him holding Hotaru and she was leaning against his body but he was still human.

"Go Haru! We need to hurry!" Hatori shouted and he nodded and took off with the slender girl in his grasp.

Hatori looked back at Rei and hung his head in shame.

"I'm told to do one thing and I can't even protect you two…" He whispered and tried to pick her up as gently as possible and was also astonished to see that he didn't transform as he ran out of the alley to his car.

"What would have happened if I hadn't seen Haru and walked by here, Rei?" He asked softly not even looking at her as he ran.

-:-

Her purple eyes slowly blinked open and she turned over in the soft bed and cringed as she felt pain all over her body and on her cheek.

She opened her eyes once more and her body shot up.

"Rei-chan!" She screamed as tears fell from her eyes and she threw the covers off of her body but two strong arms pushed her back onto the bed and she looked up to meet eyes identical to hers.

"Hotaru-san, please you can't move!" Yuki shouted and she struggled in his grasp tears still falling from her eyes.

"N-no! I've got to help Rei! Where is she!? Is she okay!?" She screamed still struggling but then she felt a hand on her cheek and looked up to see Ayame smiling down at her.

"You must trust Yuki, Hota-chan. He knows what's good for you. Your friends are both fine thanks to Kyou, Tori-san and Haru." Ayame spoke and she didn't even have time to wonder why he was watching over her and she fell back to the bed and cringed in pain.

"Are you feeling any better?" A voice asked and she looked over to see Haru sitting in a chair next to the bed looking at her.

"Hatsuharu-san… I remember…" She spoke and flashes of the memory of him holding her and carrying her to the car came back to her mind. She felt more tears come to her eyes and she cried into her hands.

"I couldn't do anything! Rei-chan kept taking the hits that were meant for me! She wouldn't let it hurt me until she fell!" She cried and her body wracked with sobs and Yuki put a hand on her shoulder.

"Please, calm down Hotaru-san. Everyone is going to be alright." He spoke and her head snapped up, tears falling from her unblinking eyes

"Everyone?... Who?... Makoto! What's wrong with Makoto!? Sh-she came didn't she!? I remember Rei-chan called her! No, no, no…." She cried once again and looked at her wounds and Yuki stepped back when he watched a light purple color appear around her hands and she began to heal her wounds as she hiccupped.

"H-Hota-chan, what are you doing?" Ayame asked in astonishment as they all looked at her in amazement.

"I have to heal my o-own wounds bef-fore I can help my friends." She cried and wiped her tears away that were clouding her vision.

"I have brought Hotaru-chan some more food… I know she's probably still asleep, b-but I can't help but wa-" They heard Tohru speak tiredly and then the tray crash to the ground. Hotaru looked up tears still falling from her violet gems to see Tohru run over to her also crying as she hugged the girl.

"Hotaru-chan! I-I was so worried about y-you all! You're th-the first to wake up!" She cried and Hotaru hugged her as well wanting to feel the comfort over another body against hers, craving the feeling of safety.

"It's alright, Tohru-ch-chan…. I'm going to be better in a few m-minutes…" She cried and Tohru let go of her, shaking as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

She watched as Hotaru continued to heal her wounds until she was able to stand and walked over to the mirror and brought her hand to her face and they watched at the mark was fading away.

She turned and wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at them sternly.

"Where are they?" She asked.

-:-

She felt so warm and the sensation made her feel safe. She smiled and she slowly opened her eyes to the feeling of something warm falling on her cheek. She sighed and looked up to see Hotaru leaning over her as she kept wiping her eyes with her sleeve and healing her wounds.

"Hotaru!" She shouted and quickly wrapped her arms around the violet eyes girl even though it hurt to stretch her body like that.

"R-Rei-chan! I was so worried! And I couldn't move to help you! I just had to watch that thing throw you around!" She cried and Rei hugged her closer to her body.

"It's alright Hotaru… Are you alright?... And what about Mako-chan? I saw her come running to fight the thing right when I was about to pass out." Rei asked and Hotaru pulled away from her and shook her head.

"I-… I did my best but she didn't wake up yet… I'm worried Rei!" She cried and hugged the girl once more and Rei moved her chin over Hotaru's shoulder to see Hatori staring at her with worried eyes and she closed hers feeling the sting of tears thinking of her friend.

"She'll be fine… She's too strong…" She replied and felt the tears fall down her cheeks because she too doubted her own words.

-:-

He sat with his head on her bed and watched her every movement. He remembered how pissed off Hatori had been when he had refused treatment for his own wounds once he had taken care of Makoto and the others. His chin rested on the bed and he didn't even sleep, he refused to sleep.

"_It's my fault she's like this… If I would have gotten there earlier, then I would have been able to help her and the others too… She almost died because I wasn't there fast enough. And then she had to be the hero and jump in and take the hits that were meant for me!"_ He thought and looked at her battered body and growled remembering the feeling of her blood sticking to his arms and hands.

"Damn it!" He hissed angrily feeling the same feeling that he had felt when he had watched Kyoko get hit… He felt useless and as if no matter how hard he tried everything was futile.

He heard the door open and looked to see Hotaru once more come in, but was followed by Rei and his eyes widened.

"She wanted to see Mako-chan… And I want to heal your wounds, Kyou-kun. Without you, we would have surly died." She spoke quietly with a small smile as the two walked over to where he was.

Rei sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed a lock of Makoto's brown hair and twiddled it in her fingers carelessly.

"Mako-chan was always so rash and reckless when it came to fighting… Never once have I seen her give up…" Rei spoke quietly not really speaking to anyone in particular.

"Here Kyou-kun, let me help you." Hotaru spoke kindly and he watched her sit down next to him and take his arm in her hands and began to heal his wrist where the tongue had burned his skin. The feeling of her power was very relaxing; it was almost like sedation for his worries. He closed his eyes and at least tired to relax and then suddenly Makoto's words popped into his mind once more.

"_But… I want to protect you, Kyou…" _He heard her cry and he snarled. He felt Hotaru pull away.

"A-Am I hurting you, Kyou-kun?" She asked innocently and he opened his eyes and then shook his head.

"No, I'm fine." He replied and she nodded and went back to healing his other wounds.

"_I couldn't even protect her when it was my fault in the first place that she ended up like that… If she wouldn't have taken my hits like that, she would have been better off than those two."_ He thought angrily and then heard the door fly open to see Setsuna storm in, tears in her eyes.

Hotaru and Rei looked behind themselves to see her hurry and walk in.

"Setsuna, you-" Hotaru was cut off by the woman taking her into a hug.

"I'm so happy you all are alright." She spoke feeling her voice crack and she let go of the girl and looked over to Rei and embraced her as well.

She pulled away and looked down at Makoto with hard eyes.

"What was it that could have done something like this? It's much too strong to be a regular Youma… Something isn't right; I've never seen anything with attack powers like this…" She spoke and leaned over Makoto and brushed her bangs away from her eyes to look down at her peaceful expression.

"W-Would you like something to eat, Setsuna-san?" Tohru choked from the door. She couldn't look at Makoto when she was in a state like that; Hatori had to make her leave because she couldn't stop crying when he was bandaging her up.

"That's alright, Tohru-san you go and relax, you need your rest." Setsuna spoke and watched her sniff and Yuki put a hand on her shoulder and lead her away from the door.

Setsuna looked back at the boy who Hotaru had just finished healing and smiled.

"I have you to thank for saving her Kyou-san. If you hadn't shown up, the lizard Youma would have killed her, there is no doubt. That was what the future held if you hadn't done what you did and for that I am indebted to you. You risked your life for these girls. So please, no longer listen to that guilt in your heart, we are all thankful for what you've done for us. Now please, get some rest so that when Makoto does wake up you can help her and not be sleeping." Setsuna smiled down at him to see his shocked expression as Rei and Hotaru exited the room.

"You… Saw the fight?... The whole fight?" He asked and she turned around from the door with a small smile.

"There is no need to worry about your secret, Kyou-san. I knew that secret when you were only a boy and it has yet to affect my opinion of your kind actions." She spoke and gripped the doorknob and turned around once more.

"And I'm positive that if Makoto were to know, it wouldn't hinder her wonderful thoughts of you either. Discuss your thoughts and maybe even your dreams with her, Kyou-san… You'd be surprised what you'd find out if you did." Setsuna spoke and quietly shut the door behind her and he just kept staring at the door.

He looked back to Makoto and lowered his eyes to the ground.

"I can't ever tell you or show you what I am… Never, you would never accept me if you were to know what I am… No one can. And even if you said you did, it wouldn't be acceptance; it would only be pity on me for baring that monster inside of me." He spoke softly and rested his chin once more on the edge of the bed and watched her.

Setsuna sighed heavily and brought her shaking hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. She gulped for air and looked up to see Hatori, Shigure and Ayame looking at her worriedly and she waved them off and felt tears come to her eyes.

"If that boy hadn't come at that precise moment… Makoto would have died and horrible things would have happened to those girls… Things, the future would have never been the way they should be. He has no idea what he's done and he still can't forgive himself and open up to her… If you all want that curse to be broken, he has to learn that if there's one person he can trust in his life, it's Kino Makoto." Setsuna slapped her hand over her mouth and felt more tears come to her eyes and her knees buckle out from under her as she cried.

Those three men then gained more respect for the container of the cat's spirit than he would ever come to know. The three looked at her sadly; it had been almost ten years ago that they had seen her cry like this, so freely and in so much pain. She was the only person they had ever seen act so mature and be so young, and they all knew that being the Senshi of Time and carrying that burden was at times such as now, too much for their grade school friend.

"Come on, Suna-chan I'll make you some of my tea." Ayame spoke quietly as he and Shigure helped her to her feet and walked her downstairs.

Rei and Hotaru looked out the bedroom door with heavy hearts and watched the woman being walked down the stairs.

"Setsuna-chan still has much to tell us, doesn't she Rei-chan?" Hotaru asked quietly as the miko nodded sadly and turned back to the room they were standing in, quietly closing the door behind themselves.

-:-

…. I told you I liked angsty things, it simply is inevitable with my writing lately (sigh) Well, I'm not sure what I'm going to update next (yes, it **should** be The Ties of Fate, but I'm leaning more towards WITS… I'm just in an angsty/Naruto mood and bringing Sasuke back into the picture is the perfect concoction for angst, lol)

And also, I've been hit with the new story bug and wanted to run it by some of you guys, since I know a few of you read all of my stories. But it will be another Sm/Naruto x-over but this time it's a Mako/Deidara pairing, and the other Senshi will be in it and I plan on pairing a few of them with the Akatsuki, seeing as that's what the story's going to be about. It's very different from any story I've ever written, and you guys can see from my other stories how much I like the strange/original things, lol. But I'm thinking I want to try maybe Hotaru/Hidan, Rei/Itachi (Maybe! Because it's extremely difficult for me to see Weasel loving anything but himself. But since those two will HAVE to be near each other and interact in the story, I could try it.) and possibly a slight Minako/Tobi because they're both so dumb and goofy! The others are still undecided, but if you guys can convince me of a good pairing and state why I should have it, I could end up writing it for you! But heed my warning; I will not pair Usagi with Itachi no matter how much anyone would ever ask me… Ever… Sorry. Other than that, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. No more frantic updates from me on this story for a while, sorry. The only real reason that I was going crazy with the updates in the first place was because school starts in… Five days XP

P.S. if you guys would like to read an awesome Sm/Naruto x-over, PLEASE for the love of Gaara's tattoo, go read Moi Fah's story _War: It Governed Our Lives_! It's a Mako, Hota, Usa based fic AND it's a Mako/Dei, Hota/Kabuto, Usa/Sasuke fic! And she deserves the reviews people because her writing is kick ass! Now flee my little monkeys and go read it! Muwahahaha!...

-Kat


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